Amnesty Hearings — Cape Town — 2000-03-16

CHAIRPERSON: Mr van Zyl, if you can continue, thank you.
MR VAN ZYL
"The Regional Manager agreed and paged Botha, after which Botha arrived at the hotel where the mechanism of the limpet mine was explained to him.  Botha agreed to be part of the operation and the necessary arrangements were made.  The very same day, 30th August 1989, Botha and I departed for Cape Town in my vehicle, with the limpet mine in a cardboard box in the boot.  The remote control I kept in an attache case.
		On the 31st of August 1989, we arrived in the Cape.  We slept for approximately 4 hours and after we awoke, I called Isgak and told him to meet me that afternoon on the parking grounds of DF Malan Airport where I would hand over the limpet mine to him.  That afternoon I met with Isgak at the Airport and Botha prepared the limpet mine.  Thereafter, the bag in which the limpet mine was placed, was placed in the boot of Isgak's vehicle.  I gave the following instruction to Isgak.  He had to take the bag with the bomb and place it in the hall of the Early Learning Centre in a cupboard there.  The instruction was that Isgak would take the bomb straight from the airport to the hall and that that bomb would be activated later, after all persons had left the building.  After placing the limpet mine, he had to return to the airport to confirm that he had completed his instruction. 
		I then gave Isgak instructions to meet Botha and myself that evening at 7 o'clock at the Belville Holiday Inn. At the Airport and after Isgak had departed, I contacted the Regional Manager that the bomb had been placed and he informed me that the Managing Director would be informed.  At the same time I arranged with the Managing Director that he would meet Botha and I on the 1st of September.  I was planning to take leave and would arrive, with my spouse at Cape Town airport to collect my car for my two weeks leave, which I would spend in Cape Town.
	During the course of that afternoon I decided that I would not hand over the remote control to Isgak.  I was concerned about the fact that he could have placed the bomb at any other place other than the Learning Centre and that he would activate it at a place and time of his choice.  I discussed this with Botha and we decided that we would go along in order to determine that the bomb was placed in the correct place.
		The evening of 31st of August 1989, Isgak met Botha and I at the Holiday Inn.  We, together in a vehicle, went to the Early Learning Centre Hall and by approximately quarter to Eight, we arrived at the centre.  Isgak then pointed out the vicinity of the hall to us, as well as the parking area where vehicles of the members of the organisation were parked.  We parked approximately 400 metres from the hall and it was already dark.
		I sent Isgak into the hall in order to ensure that children were out of the hall because during the evening a karate class was held for children.  He also had to determine which members of the movement had attended the meeting.  He returned after half an hour and reported that there were no children in the hall and mentioned that all the management members of the movement were present in the hall.  We drove to a street where we had a good view of the parking area and the hall.  At approximately 9 p.m. the management members of the Movement left the hall and went to their vehicles.  Isgak informed me that everyone had departed from the hall.  We were approximately 30 metres from the hall.  I then told Ismail to drive around the block, so that I could activate the mine.  The mine was activated afterwards and the bomb exploded.  Isgak took us back to the airport where he dropped us off and we left by aeroplane back to Johannesburg the very same evening.  
		On the 1st of September 1989, the Regional Manager and Maree met Botha and I at Jan Smuts Airport and I reported to the Regional Manager.  The Regional Manager went to his vehicle and informed us that the Co-ordinator and the Managing Director would be informed that the project had been completed.  I saw that he called someone.  We then left for home from the airport.
		At 10 a.m. on the morning of the 1st of September 1989 I met with the Regional Manager, Co-ordinator, Maree, Botha and Nick in the Rosebank Hotel in a room.  This meeting was arranged by the Regional Manager and I handed over the pocket calculator along with my written report with regard to the bomb explosion at the Early Learning Centre, to the Co-ordinator.  I then made arrangements that the Regional Manager would apply for a reward for Isgak and that the money would be handed over to me.
		The evening of the 1st of September 1989, I and my spouse went to Cape Town by aeroplane on leave.  We spent two weeks in Cape Town.  On Saturday 2nd September 1989, I spoke to Peaches and Isgak at various times.  I wanted to know from Peaches how the Omar project was proceeding and I anted to inform Isgak as to when he would be paid. 
		The following Saturday, 9th of September 1989, I once again had an appointment with Peaches and Isgak and I met them in the Cape.  Peaches reported to me that Omar's movements were back to normal.  I paged Barnard in Johannesburg and asked him to meet me on the 11th of September 1989 in Cape Town.  I then asked Barnard to monitor Omar and he agreed.  I only told him just to monitor Omar.  The evening of 11th September 1989, the Regional Manager handed over R25 000 in cash to me.  R7 000 of the R25 000 that was handed over to me was added to the R3 000 that was left of the Omar project so that there was R10 000.  The reason why there was R7 000 added, was that Barnard was paid with this for the monitoring of Omar and for other tasks that he had performed.  The R7 000 was added to the R3 000 of the original R10 000 which was in my safe and therefore I paid back R10 000 to the organisation.  On the 12th of September 1989, I handed over R18 000 in cash to Isgak.  The Regional Manager reported with regard to the application of the monies.  
		On Tuesday 12th September 1989 I met with Barnard in Cape Town and wanted to know how the monitoring of Omar was proceeding.  I was informed that it was on-going.  Later I met with Barnard and Peaches again and Barnard informed me that he was done with the monitoring of Omar and that he would return to Johannesburg.  On the same day, I flew back to Johannesburg.  Later I met with Botha and Nick at a hotel at the airport where I gave R10 000 back to Nick.  The R10 000 was in regard to the Omar project.  	Nick then gave to me a white coloured powder in a small bottle.  Nick informed me that the powder came from the Regional Manager and this had to be put into Omar's food because they could not make the pills themselves.  The powder would also cause a heart attack to Omar.  I took it and went back to Cape Town.  	On the same day I met Peaches at DF Malan Airport.  I gave this bottle to him with the instruction that the contents had to be strewn over Omar's food.  I never again saw Peaches, Isgak or Barnard thereafter.  
		After a week I called Peaches.  He informed me that he could not strew the powder over Omar's food.  I told Peaches to destroy the pistol and the powder and to cease the project on Omar as previously arranged by the Regional Manager.
		A project where I was involved in the Cape was with regard to a printing press.  I cannot recall the name of this printing press.  I received information early in 1989 that the printing press was doing printing work for, amongst others, the ANC, the UDF, Cosatu and other banned organisations.  The information was given through to the CCB and a project was identified that the place would be burned down.  	After an in-house with the Managing Director, the Regional Manager told me that the project had been approved and that this place would be burned down.  I instructed Isgak to execute this project.  Later he reported to me that the place had been burned down and he was paid R2 000.  I heard later that the printing press was never burned down.  
		During March of 1989 I, the Regional Manager and Maree met in a flat in Johannesburg and I was informed that an in-house would be held with regard to a project that would entail the elimination of a man by the name of Michael Gavin Evans.  He would be robbed at knife point and I was told to arrange with Peaches to come from Cape Town to Johannesburg and to bring another person along with him, in order to execute this project.  Peaches came to Johannesburg and I spoke to him in an hotel room and informed him that Evans was the target of the project.  The project was not my project, but the project of Maree and he continued with the project.  I gave R2 000 in cash to Peaches in order to cover their expenses and it was arranged that Peaches would receive R5 000 to execute the project.  
		Later it appeared that the information with regard to Evans was not correct and that he could not be traced.  I conveyed this to the Managing Director and he said that the project could not continue.  The project was therefore ceased.  
		On Tuesday 2nd May 1989 it came to my knowledge that David Webster had been killed in an assassination attempt and I recall that I saw it on television news.  A few days after the Webster murder, there was a cell meeting in a hotel room where I, the Regional Manager, Maree and Botha were present.  We were waiting for the Co-ordinator.  While we awaited the Co-ordinator, the Regional Manager said that he went and saw the Managing Director in connection with the Webster matter.  He still said that the Managing Director was concerned about the incident and that the Managing Director suspected that our cell was involved in the Webster incident.  I know nothing of the Webster murder and do not have any knowledge.  I will repeat, I do not know anything of the Webster murder and have no knowledge that his murder was discussed in our cell or at our region.  I had nothing to do with the murder of Webster whatsoever.  
		After I resigned from the organisation, the Managing Director requested me to speak to him.  This was close to Verwoerdburg where I met with the Managing Director.  He told me that there were problems regarding the Webster incident.  He then asked if I was involved with the Webster incident or whether the Regional Manager or any of the other members were involved.  I told the Managing Director that I was definitely not involved in the killing of Webster.  I also told him that I did not know whether the other three members were involved in the incident.  I gained the impression that the Managing Director was concerned and that he had no knowledge with regard to the Webster incident.  I told the Managing Director that I believed that other persons were responsible for the act because I would have heard if our members were responsible.  The discussion did not take very long and I was taken back by Nick.  
		At some stage before October 1989, I was informed by the Managing Director that I had to attend a second course during October 1989 but I informed him of my intention to resign.  The Regional Manager was present as well as the Co-ordinator, Maree, Botha and Nick.  They thought that I was joking, but I emphasised it and the Regional Manager was dissatisfied with this.  He alleged that I had misused the organisation in order to establish my business.  I denied this and I showed him that my production bonus for November 1989, that I would not take the bonus and I would  - that I would not take my 13th salary cheque and my medical costs.  I informed the Regional Manager that I was done with the organisation.  I excused myself.  I walked off and that was the last formal contact that I had with the organisation.  
		Later I returned the vehicle to the organisation, as well as other facilities that I had used of the organisation, for example a shredding machine, and a telephone scrambler.  This I gave back to the CCB.  I handed it over to Nick."
	Chairperson, consequently from paragraph 62 up to paragraph 63, this dealt with specific questions that Adv Tim McNally has referred to Annexure A, were put to me.  Unfortunately I do not have Annexure A here.