Special Hearings — State Security Council Hearings — 1997-10-14

CHAIRPERSON: I welcome all of you very warmly this open session of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
 This is the first time as it were, in a session of this kind I wanted to express congratulations to Max du Preez's team, TV team, and Antjie Samuels radio team on winning the Pringle Awards - richly deserved accolades.
 I have just returned from the Seventh Assembly of the All Africa Conference of Churches in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which was addressed, amongst others, by the President of Ethiopia, also by the Secretary General of the OAU and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission on Africa, and it was amazing in all of those addresses to hear how highly the TRC is regarded everywhere, and spoken of in glowing terms.  Jesus Christ said something about a prophet being honoured except in his own country, and this seems to apply to the TRC.  I hope those who regard the TRC as a witchhunt directed at one particular racial group will, after last week, when they heard the TRC called a farce by another political group come to change their tune.  
 This is an organ set up by all the parties that negotiated the transition from repression and injustice to democracy and freedom which they all approved, whose terms of reference they all accepted to establish as much of the truth about our past as was humanly possible.  Looking at it, not with a jaundiced eye, the unbiased observer would say the TRC has not done too badly.  It is not a perfect instrument but it is the best thing available for that task.  
 Just look at what has in fact been uncovered through the TRC; all about Steve Biko, the Cradock 4, the Pebco 3, Siphiwe Mthimkulu, the Ribeiros, truth that had remained concealed despite all the elaborate trials and inquests that had been held.
 After the 'Makuta trial I said the TRC gave us the best chance of arriving at the truth.  On that occasion I was attacked by some but I am glad to have been vindicated.  
 My own unshakeable belief is that we inhabit a moral universe that a lie could not forever prevail against the truth; that repression, evil and injustice would not have the last word.  Again we were vindicated in this belief.  Truth will out despite all the elaborate machinations of liars.  Truth will out even for those who thought they were unassailable, sitting in impregnable fastnesses.  
 We hope this particular hearing on the State Security Council will go a long way to help establish the truth, the truth especially about accountability;  the truth about where in fact does the buck eventually end. What was intended by some of the cryptic writings.  We are certain that those appearing before us in this session are honourable men who won't engage in semantic obfuscations; who will tell the world this is what was intended.  And we hope that the truth that surfaces is not in order to pillory anyone; is not in order to go forward to prosecution, it is to help in the process of healing, in the process of reconciliation in our land.  We are certain that those going to testify before us will want to go down in history as having helped to heal a traumatised, a deeply divided and wounded people.  
 And so in welcoming Mr "Pik" Botha I want to introduce to you the panel. The names are - Ilan Lax is a member of our Human Rights Violations Committee and he is based in our KwaZulu Natal office in Durban.  Dumisa Ntsebeza is a Commissioner and he heads up our Investigative Unit and he often hopes that I will be away so that he can act as Deputy-Chairperson of the Commission which he does splendidly well and he's based in our office in Cape Town.  Yasmin Sooka is a Commissioner and she is Deputy-Chairperson of the Human Rights Violations Committee and is based here in our Gauteng office.  Alex Boraine is Deputy-Chairperson of the Commission and with us is down in Cape Town.  Wynand Malan is a Commissioner and a second Deputy-Chairperson of the Human Rights Violations Committee and is based here in Johannesburg.  Richard Lyster is a Commissioner and he is a member of the Human Rights Violations Committee and he is also in charge of our KwaZulu Natal region in the office in Durban.
 We welcome you very warmly and give you the word.  Glen Goosen is director of our Investigative Unit and Paul van Zyl is executive secretary of the Commission.  John Daniel is Research, I just remember that I had to write a letter or something.

DR BORAINE: Mr Botha as is customary at these hearings we ask everyone appearing before us to take the oath and if you would like to take the oath or the affirmation, the oath - would you please stand.

MR R F BOTHA: (sworn states)

CHAIRPERSON: I will now hand over to Glen Goosen.

MR GOOSEN: Thank you very much Mr Chairperson.  Mr Chairperson I understand that Mr Botha has prepared a statement and a submission, is going to present that to the panel at the outset before I ask any questions, so I would simply hand over to Mr Botha.

MR R F BOTHA: Thank you Mr Chairperson, that is correct.  I actually arranged with a staff member of the TRC already yesterday morning I delivered the basic document that I had in mind consisting of 39 pages and the idea was that that document should be made available to the members of the Commission.  The last part I brought with me here this morning.  With your permission if I may just explain.
 The Deputy Chairman invited me at the end of August to participate in these hearings.  I immediately accepted and the TRC assisted me in then sending me a number of questions, the idea being at that time that that would set the ball rolling and give me some indication of the matters that you would be interested in.  
 Now the first 39 pages deal then, and is actually answering those questions put to me by the TRC, and the last part no.5, General Questions on the State Security Council, this is from my point of view perhaps the most important part of the questions.  I would, with your permission, wish to read that statement in full because I believe it contains rather important views on my part.

CHAIRPERSON: Please go ahead, yes.

MR R F BOTHA: With your permission then may I just - I won't read the 39 pages ...(intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.