Amnesty Hearings — Welkom — 1998-11-17

MR MHLABA: Thank you, Chair.  May I now call Solomon Sera?

SOLOMON SERA: (sworn states)

MR MHLABA: Mr Sera, you were on the 5th of June 1993 in the company of Isaac Mohomane were two police officers were shot dead, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: That is correct.

MR MHLABA: And you are approaching this Committee today to apply for an amnesty in respect of the very offences, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: That is correct.

MR MHLABA: You were born on the 7th of March 1969 at Vereeniging, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: That is correct.

MR MHLABA: The basis on which you're applying for amnesty is that the offences which you have committed and subsequently convicted of, were committed by you with a political objective, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: That is correct.

MR MHLABA: Can you explain to the Committee if during the period June 1993, in particular on the 5th of June '93, whether you belonged to a political organisation.

SOLOMON SERA: In 1993 I was a member of the ANC and again I was a member of the SDU.

MR MHLABA: When did you join the SDU and how were you recruited therein, if you were ever recruited?

SOLOMON SERA: I joined the SDU in 1991.  I was recruited by Mosia and Isaac Mohomane who was my commander.

MR MHLABA: Did you know Mosia before this specific date, before you joined the SDUs?

SOLOMON SERA: I knew Mosia in 1992 when we were engaged in SDU training.

MR MHLABA: When he recruited you were you aware that he was a member of the SDU or a member of the African National Congress?  Did you have any doubts or didn't you?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I had that information that he was a member of the ANC and again a member of the SDU.

MR MHLABA: And can you tell the Committee who was your immediate commander in the SDUs?

SOLOMON SERA: My commander in the SDU was Isaac Mohomane.

MR MHLABA: And you used to take instructions from him, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I used to take instructions from him as my commander.

MR MHLABA: And you were satisfied that all the instructions where you were from to time taking from him were instructions from the African National Congress or the senior commanders thereof?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I was satisfied.

MR MHLABA: Can you explain to the Committee how the incident where the two police officers, Makau and Mosebi were killed and the manner in which the killing was planned and subsequently executed?

SOLOMON SERA: In 1993 we met as co-accused together with my comrade.  We met at Mosia's place where I met my three comrades where we used to engage in our training.  I was the fourth one.
	I left with Isaac Mohomane who is my commander, to try to identify targets and where we can find them.  We parked our car at the shopping centre.  We were able to identify a car which was used by the police.  We returned to report to other comrades that we were able to identify a target and the place.
	At the time when I was together with comrade Mohomane he was having a 357 revolver.  We returned to other comrades at Phillip Mosia's house.  We sat down, we discussed, all of us, as to whether what method should we use to attack that target. 
	Comrade Jack Mofokeng who is the assistant commander to Isaac Mohomane had a 15 shooter which was given to him by Isaac Mohomane.  We left with a car and parked the car where the target was, and Phillip Mosia went inside at that shopping centre or where those policemen were.  He was able to identify those people as members of the police.
	Then he returned.  We whiled away time outside.  Then he went again after some time, then he said he was able to see that they were just about to leave.  He told us that I should take the car and put it to a position where after the operation they would find me at that particular spot.
	He said that after the operation he would find me at that particular spot where he instructed me to park the car.  After the operation I picked my comrade, then I left comrade Mohomane at his place, then I left Phillip Mosia at his place.  I was together with comrade Jack Mofokeng where I left him at his place.  Then he gave me the gun which he used so that I should be able to keep it.

MR MHLABA: With regard to the identification of targets as you've already mentioned, did your commander tell you that you were looking for specific police officers or you were just identifying any police officer?

SOLOMON SERA: We were identifying our target generally as policemen, not particular policemen.

MR MHLABA: The two police officers who died as a result of this operation, were they known to you?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I knew them.

MR MHLABA: Were they ever mentioned by your commander who is your co-applicant, that these very officers should be attacked?  Were they ever mentioned by names to you in other words?

SOLOMON SERA: No, there was no identify of particular policemen who were to be identified as targets.  He instructed us generally that whoever is a member of the police force should be attacked.

MR MHLABA: So in other words you're telling this Committee that even if the police officers who you found at the scene were not these two deceased, they would have been attacked as well, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I believe so because on that particular day it was a general target that we should attack policemen.  There was no specification about particular identification of who should be attacked.

MR MHLABA: Other than getting instructions from Mosia, was there any other SDU leader or ANC leader who gave you orders directly, not through Mohomane?

SOLOMON SERA: No, there was no leader who used to give us instructions.  All instructions we received through Isaac Mohomane.

MR MHLABA: So do you confirm that you were very satisfied that this operation had a blessing of the responsible people in the ANC and the SDUs?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I confirm because I had faith in him as my commander.

MR MHLABA: So is it your case that in killing the two deceased you were furthering the objectives of your political movement?

SOLOMON SERA: That is correct.

MR MHLABA: Did you in any way benefit financially or materially from the death of the two deceased?

SOLOMON SERA: No, I did not receive any - by killing these people we were able to reach our objective which we wanted to achieve.

MR MHLABA: Do you have any other thing to add in support of your application for amnesty?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I wanted to add something to my application, Sir.

MR MHLABA: You may proceed.

SOLOMON SERA: What I wanted to add to my evidence is that in my application for amnesty which I did not mention is that I'm here before the Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation and I want to thank this Committee for giving me this opportunity to appear before it.  In the past we regarded the police as our enemy because they
were used by the previous government.  I'd be very happy if members of the family of the victims would understand the situation of the past, that it was because of that situation which has forced us that we kill their next-of-kin.  That is why I say I'm requesting for forgiveness.

MR MHLABA: In your trial for the very incident, were you legally represented?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, that is correct.

MR MHLABA: Were you represented by a legal representative of your choice?

SOLOMON SERA: No, certain people who were advocates came to prison who informed us that they are going to represent us in Court.

MR MHLABA: There has been mention of testimony by Kele, were you given an opportunity to address or to talk to your legal representatives about the testimony which was tendered by him?

SOLOMON SERA: No, I was never given an opportunity to challenge his evidence.  What I did I told my legal representation to challenge that evidence because his evidence it was not true.  He took an oath but he did not tell the Court the truth.

MR MHLABA: So in short you are telling this Committee that this witness lied under oath?