Special Hearings — Mandela United Football Club Hearings — 1998-01-28

ANDRE KRITZINGER: "I, the undersigned Andre Kritzinger
 declares hereby under oath as follows:
 I am a Superintendent in the South African Police Service.  The contents of this statement falls within my personal knowledge unless stated otherwise and to the best of my knowledge is true and correct.
BACKGROUND:   On 9 January 1975 I entered the South African Police Service and since then have been in the service of that organisation.  I was advised not to load this statement by giving too many details regarding the course of my career.  I will limit myself to the years involved.
 In the period 3 September 1984 - to 16 April 1994 I was part of the Security Branch in Soweto.  During this period as a member of the investigating team known as the Terrorist Tracing Unit I was a component head and my function was investigating of security matters.  
 During my period at the Security Branch, Soweto, my rank was initially that of lieutenant and on 1 July 1989 I was promoted to the rank of Captain, the rank I had when I left the Security Branch in Soweto.
 I am now dealing with the matters mentioned in my subpoena.  The questioning and following death of Sizwe Sithole.  Although I know the name of Sizwe Sithole, I am aware of the fact that there was such a person I had no personal knowledge of the questioning and following death of Sizwe Sithole; the use and handling of informants, and sources associated with the Mandela Football Club and Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
 Although during my career as detective I did on occasion use informants during the period that I worked at the Security Branch in Soweto I did not make or deal with any informants.  At the Security Branch in Soweto there was a very specific function and one of our functions was not dealing with informants.  I do happen to have knowledge of the fact that there were members of the Security Branch who did deal with informants and had the specific task of doing that.  However, I did not ever hear, nor was I aware at any stage of any sources which were specifically recruited or dealt with, with regards to the Mandela Football Club and Mrs Madikizela-Mandela.
 The abduction, assault and murder of Stompie Seipei in 1988 and information thereabouts, at no stage did I have anything physically to do with the Stompie Seipei matter.  
 On occasions the investigating officers did enquire as to whether I had any knowledge about Mrs Madikizela-Mandela and the United Football Club.  All the information I had in this regard I shared with the investigating officers that this was just background and no specific information regarding the murder, the relationship between the Security Branch, Murder and Robbery and other units in the South African Police Force with regard to matters dealing with Mrs Madikizela-Mandela and the Mandela United Football Club.
 To the best of my knowledge there was no branch of Stratcom at the Security Branch in Soweto which - regarding cooperation, the cooperation that existed was the normal cooperation and there was no specific action directed at Mrs Madikizela-Mandela or the Mandela United Football Club.  
 I was requested by Colonel Jan Potgieter and assisted him in the compiling of a docket regarding Mrs Madikizela-Mandela's activities.  In order to compile this docket I went to different units of the South African Police to gather information regarding activities.  A complete analysis was made of all information regarding her activities and a complete docket stipulating more than 30 incidents was built up.  The docket was finally handed to the Attorney General, Mr Klaus von Lieires.
 Thereafter I never saw the docket again and to the best of my knowledge it is still with Mr von Lieires at the stage when I was transferred from Security Branch, Soweto.
 The use of Intelligence material and the relationship of Intelligence agencies regarding matters affecting Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and the Mandela United Football Club, in this regard I refer to what I have said in the paragraph just before this one and the reply is applicable here as well.  
 The interrogation and death of Petrus Johannes Mabotha I was not involved in the interrogation or the death of Mabotha therefore I cannot give any further information in this regard.  
 Information regarding tapping of telephones regarding Mrs Madikizela-Mandela and the Mandela United Football Club, at no stage was I involved in any tapping of phones or the placing and monitoring of any listening device.  I know that this did take place on Mrs Mandela's phone and I read many of the transcriptions and I read summaries and extracts.  I placed this in the docket.  
 I am also aware of the fact that from time-to-time by members of the security branch made use of taps, but I have no knowledge of any incident where Mrs Mandela or the United Football Club was monitored in such a way.  To my knowledge there was no information from such source came under my attention.  
 It was brought to my attention that there are allegations that Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was under a 24-hour surveillance.  To the best of my knowledge this is not true.
 The killing of Sergeant Pretorius and two MK members, Leka and Vinyenga in 1988.  I was not physically involved in the planning or execution of the action during which Sergeant Pretorius was killed. As a result I cannot provide any information about the facts regarding this matter.   I knew Sergeant Pretorius and I am aware of the fact that he was a person who worked with informers.  In my opinion he was a dedicated worker and had a good name among his colleagues.  His death was a great shock and I attended his funeral".
 Mr Chairman that concludes my statement  which has been attested to today.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  Mr Hanif Vally is acting for the TRC and I will ask him to lead now please.

MR VALLY: Thank you Mr Chair.  If Mr Kemp has no further questions he wants to lead I will proceed with my questioning of Mr Kritzinger.

MR KEMP: Mr Chairman I have no further questions at this stage.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Vally.  May I just intervene and say for a moment that it's probably going to be a pretty hot day.  If you would like to remove your jackets for those who haven't waited for my permission, who would like to remove your jacket please feel free to do that.  Thank you.
 Mr Kritzinger can I just say too, to remind you that the questions will probably be put to you in the main in English, but you must feel very free to reply either in English or Afrikaans, it's in your hands.  If you are going to then it may be advisable for you to use the headphones.........

ANDRE KRITZINGER: It seems like my ears are too small for these.....

CHAIRPERSON: .....too big.  (laughter)

MR VALLY: Mr Kritzinger are you presently still a member of the South African Police Services?

ANDRE KRITZINGER: That is correct.

MR VALLY: What is your rank presently?

ANDRE KRITZINGER: As set out in my statement, Superintendent.

MR VALLY: We just got your statement this morning so there will be certain aspects in your statement that we still will have to go through.  But by and large regarding the Mandela United Football Club the impression one gets from the statement you have handed to us, is you heard nothing, you saw nothing, is that correct?

ANDRE KRITZINGER: That is correct, I didn't have anything to do with that Football Club.

MR VALLY: Let's just get some clarity on how long you were in Soweto.  I am looking at paragraph 3 of your statement.  You say that you were at the Security Branch Soweto from 3rd September 1984 to 16 April 1991.  So were you there for that period, seven years approximately?

ANDRE KRITZINGER: That is correct.