Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1999-08-25

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That would have been chopped up at the askaris farm at Camperdown.  I had knowledge that at Camperdown on the farm there had been a workshop where vehicles would have been adapted for use by the askaris.  Myself and Wasserman sometimes worked on Beetles at that place.  I have no knowledge of chopping up a blue Toyota Corolla vehicle but I cannot deny that it possibly could have happened.  I can state it categorically that that vehicle could not have been the vehicle of Shabalala seeing the last name was burnt according to my knowledge.  I also deny that I had anything to do with the chopping up of a blue Toyota vehicle.

MR VISSER: Yes, allegations had also been made that parts of a chopped up vehicle and later an engine had been loaded onto a bakkie, do you know anything about this?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: It was an Isuzu bakkie and I have no knowledge of this.  The allegation was that it was with an Isuzu bakkie.

MR VISSER: Please continue with paragraph 6?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: As a motivation of my participation and association with this act I mention that I acted in the execution of my duties in the service of the SAP and in the execution of the orders that I had received from senior officers.  The events happened in a war situation where the rules of normal war was not applicable.  In the light of the pressure that had been placed upon us in the security branch by the political leaders of that time and many speeches where there was reference made to the elimination of terrorists I really believed that such action was expected of me and that my action was within the scope of my express or implied duties.  My action was aimed to maintain and protect the State and the National Party.  Specifically I had the opinion that the specific action was necessary to spare the government an embarrassment and to not place the National Party's negotiation position in any danger.  I was not rewarded for this action in any way.

MR VISSER: Mr du Preez, please forgive me, I forgot to lead you on something else.  Colonel Botha gave evidence that on Saturday the 14th July he had discussed the matter of the elimination or not of Mr Ndaba or Shabalala with you.  What is your comment on this?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson, he had told me that he had decided that Ndaba and Shabalala would be eliminated.

MR VISSER: You had already agreed with these paragraphs dealing with how Mr Ndaba had become nervous and said that he would rather take his chances with the ANC?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: Did you agree based on the considerations that was then applicable with the decision of Mr Botha and did you declare yourself as prepared to help with the elimination of these two people?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: And then I just want to take you back to paragraph 1.6.  This deals with the paragraphs where the elimination happened.  Can you just tell the Committee what your part was in the elimination?  You turned off from the road at the Tugela River is that not true?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: And then you stopped at a place?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: And then someone climbed out?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: Can you remember who climbed out?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I think it was Van der Westhuizen and Wasserman.

MR VISSER: And what was the aim of this?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I think Van der Westhuizen showed Wasserman the point where we would eliminate the people.

MR VISSER: Did they then return?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: What happened then?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Ndaba and Shabalala was then taken out of the vehicle and myself and Wasserman and Botha walked with the people with the two to the point where Wasserman had taken us to.

MR VISSER: Were Shabalala and Ndaba then bound?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes they were and they were blindfolded.

MR VISSER: Were their hands tied in front or behind their backs?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: In front of them.

MR VISSER: How did they know how to walk if they were blindfolded?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Myself and Botha held them on their belts and we guided them.

MR VISSER: And when you arrived at the river what happened then?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I can't remember, I think Botha suggested that we all take a leak or that the two of them had to do it and after this, Wasserman told them to sit.  During this time myself and Botha took the firearms from the bag.

MR VISSER: Which firearms were these?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: It was Scorpion pistols, machine pistols.

MR VISSER: Did they have silencers?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: And these were illegal firearms, not true?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is true.  We took the two firearms out and the moment when Wasserman had them sitting we came closer and we shot them at the back of the head.

MR VISSER: Both of them in the head?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: And what happened after this?  What happened to them?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: They both fell over immediately.  We shot them a second time and then we started taking off their clothes.  Wasserman then brought concrete poles from the kombi.

MR VISSER: Anything else?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: There was also wire, concrete poles, hessian bags.  We bound them with the hessian bags, we placed the concrete poles on them and we bound it with wire.  We then continues to throw the two bodies in the water.

MR VISSER: Can you remember who was thrown into the water first?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I think Wasserman and Botha first threw Ndaba in and then after this myself and Wasserman threw Shabalala in.

MR VISSER: Can you remember which of the two persons were shot by you?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I shot Shabalala.

MR VISSER: Mr du Preez, after these events it was in November 1994, you were approached by a representative of the Attorney General's office, is this correct?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: And then you made a declaration of oath that you signed regarding aspects of this incident?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct Chairperson.

MR VISSER: In which you denied that you had any knowledge of a blue Toyota Corolla?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct, Chairperson.

MR VISSER: In as far as in this statement you had said something that is not the truth.  You are also applying for amnesty for perjury, is that correct?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: You're also applying for amnesty for the abduction, kidnapping and unlawful arrest of Mr Shabalala, the unlawful detention, deprivation of liberty of both Mr Shabalala and Mr Ndaba?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: The murder of said Mr Ndaba and Shabalala, the unlawful possession of unlicensed Scorpion sub-machine pistol and ammunition?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: Yes, you also took part in the destruction of Mr Shabalala's vehicle?

SIMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct.

MR VISSER: Can you please briefly tell the Committee what you know about this?