Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-04-03

MR PRIOR: Could you possibly just explain to the Committee how you deployed your Unit?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: We were in a line as such, a straight line, moving across the railway line, towards Da Gama at that time.

MR PRIOR: How many were in your Unit?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: It would have been approximately about eight members if I can remember correctly.

MR PRIOR: Were you all armed?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: We were all armed at the time.

MR PRIOR: With what issue?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: The service pistol as well as R5 rifles.

MR PRIOR: Please continue.

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: As we were moving down the embankment, that is just after crossing the railway line, a radio message had come over that the suspects were moving towards Mdantsane as I have already said and the right hand side of the section, or the line, fell slightly behind as we were turning to the left.
	At that stage a volley of shots were fired, I immediately took cover, as we did not know where the shots were coming from.  Then we turned around and moved back towards from where the shots had come from.  At that point, a second volley of shots were fired, in our direction and once again took cover and we tried to identify where the attack was coming from.
	It was slightly impossible to identify at that stage, as I said the bush was very dense and the grass was long.  At that point, Constable Aslet also shouted at me that one of the Policemen from our section had been shot.  It was not know who was shot at the time.
	We then moved towards the direction from which the fire had come from again, or the shots had been fired from, and at that point, a third volley of shots were heard, and then everything was quiet after that.
	From this position I could see Constable Williams laying face down, on the ground and I went over to him, checked for his vital signs and didn't find any trace of any vital signs then.
	At the same time, other members of my section had secured the area where the suspects were and also had disarmed the suspects.

MR PRIOR: When you talk about suspects, how many suspects were there?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: There were two at the time, and when we arrived or when we found them, they were already dead and it appeared that they had shot themselves in the last volley of shots that had been fired.

MR PRIOR: Where were their injuries?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: If I recall correctly, the one suspect had a head wound, and the other one had a wound in the chest.

MR PRIOR: After that, if I may ask you, was there any check done regarding ammunition expended by your Unit?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: Not immediately after the attack, that was only done after we had returned back to the Unit.  After securing the area and disarming the suspects, and after Constable Williams had been removed from the scene, we went through to the main gate of Da Gama and awaited further instructions and after that, the instructions that we had was, to go through the bush again and after that, after finding nothing in the bush and no other suspects in the bush, we returned to the Unit and that is where we did our ammunition count.
	We also determined if any shots had been fired.

MR PRIOR: Had shots been fired by your Unit?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: No shots were fired by any of my members or of the Unit as such either.

MR PRIOR: And Constable Williams, who checked his firearm?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: I checked it personally and all his rounds were accounted for.  His ammunition was accounted for.

MR PRIOR: When you scoured the area at any stage, whether it was the first time or the second time, was any other ammunition found, any other weaponry, rifle grenade in particular, can you recall?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: The suspects were armed with R4 rifles and in the bush, those were the only firearms that we found.  On the tar road in front of the main gate of Da Gama, I think on photograph 5 it is more or less in the position of (a) where it is showing that vehicle, there was a hand grenade laying in the road, that had been left behind.

MR PRIOR: You don't know if a rifle grenade was found near the railway line?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: No, I do not.

MR PRIOR: Thank you Mr Chairman, that is the evidence.

MR PRIOR: .

MS COLLETT: I have no questions.

MS COLLETT: .

MR NTONGA: I have no questions.

MR NTONGA: .

ADV GCABASHE: Tell us about the helicopter, we've heard evidence of a helicopter arriving, did it arrive with you, was it there, tell us about that?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: The helicopter was requested from the SANDF or the SADF at that time.  The helicopter had been in the area for certain other operations and it only arrived on the scene about 20 minutes after the shooting had taken place.  That is the shooting of Constable Williams and the shooting at my section.

ADV GCABASHE: When you arrived, how many Da Gama Security Officers had been doing the shooting, before you got there?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: I would not bear knowledge of that fact, as I approached the scene from the opposite side.  No information was given to us at that stage of how many Security guards there were.

ADV GCABASHE: Thank you.

MR LAX: Just as - your Reaction Unit would have attended to quite a  number of incidents of this nature in that area at that time?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: That is correct, we had attended a couple of incidents.

MR LAX: Do you know whether there were any more incidents in your area that may have involved APLA, round about, after this incident?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: I am not too sure when the Highgate attack had taken place, I can't recall the exact date as well as the Bahai incident, and the King William's Town Golf Club incident, they had all been alleged to be APLA attacks.

MR LAX: This was the last of that series?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: As I say, I am not exactly sure of the dates, but if I recall correctly, that is so.

MR LAX: But you don't recall any others after this event?

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: No.

MR LAX: Thank you Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

STEVEN TREVOR HUSSAN: Thank you.

MR PRIOR: With leave of the Committee, I call Mrs Anvari.  May Captain Hussan be excused?

CHAIRPERSON: Just ask him, does one excuse witnesses from further attendance, if so, he is excused.

MR PRIOR: Thank you Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: For the sake of the record, will you once again give us your full name please.

DINA ANVARI: My name is Dina Anvari.

DINA ANVARI: (sworn states)

MR PRIOR: Mr Chairperson, Mrs Anvari indicated to me that a personal statement she would like some time to consider, and maybe the appropriate time would be at the next hearing.
	I would like to get the bulk of her evidence ready, just regarding the background of Bahai, for the benefit of the Committee.
	Her personal statement she wishes some time to consider.

CHAIRPERSON: Well, we propose very shortly, to be adjourning till the 14th, would that suit you?

DINA ANVARI: I realise that.  We thought that, basically both of us would like to make a - as you put it before.

MR PRIOR: Thank you.  Ms Anvari ...

CHAIRPERSON: Do you think we should start the evidence now even, because you have heard the request.

MR PRIOR: We could equally take it at the next hearing, it might even be more practical to do that.

CHAIRPERSON: I think it would be better to do it together, rather than, speaking for myself, trying to ...

MR PRIOR: Yes, Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: Have you got any comments on it?

DINA ANVARI: No, I would rather first answer your questions before I can make any comment.

MR PRIOR: What is the position now Mr Chairman?

CHAIRPERSON: Would you rather ...

DINA ANVARI: If you need to ask questions, I would rather go ahead with it because you know, it is all psychological.