Amnesty Hearings — Cape Town — 2000-06-21

MR P DU PLESSIS: If I understand correctly, your appointment at the CCB was approved whilst you were still in fact in the employ of the South African Police, and more particular as the Commander of Brixton Murder and Robbery?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: That is correct.

MR P DU PLESSIS: You then resigned to start on the 1st of June 1988, to start your service with the CCB?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, my official starting date with the CCB is 1 June 1988, but we only formally resigned from the South African Police on the 7th of June 1988.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Your appointment at the CCB, if I understand you correctly, was actually a secret, you didn't reveal this?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: No.

MR P DU PLESSIS: From the 7th of June 1988, it is on record, and I don't want to labour the point here, but it is on record that there was a period during which, a period of approximately six months during which you were not active, is that correct?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Apparently the Heads, or there was an agreement between the South African Police and the South African Defence Force in respect of the transfer of personnel, there was some activity surrounding that?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.  We were told to ...

MR P DU PLESSIS: Sorry Mr Chairman, I just want to draw my client's attention not to disturb the microphone.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Burger, when did you actually physically leave the Brixton Murder and Robbery Squad?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: On the 7th of June 1988.

CHAIRPERSON: And what did you tell your colleagues that you were going onto the street now, or what was the situation?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: No, that we were all going to Matthysen Bus Transport, it is the owner of the Matthysen Bus Transport company, located close to Escom offices in Megawatt Park, and that he employed all of us.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Why did you do that?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: It was a request from Gen Joubert, through Joe Verster, that we in this period of transfer from Brixton to the CCB, that we would lay low and that we would have a low profile so that if there were any questions about our transfer, or about our leaving the service, it would be said that we were working in a private service.

MR P DU PLESSIS: So this, was this your initiative,  your employment at Matthysen Bus?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, he is also a former friend of mine.

MR P DU PLESSIS: And as stated on record, Mr Matthysen was aware of the fact that you did not work for him?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.

MR P DU PLESSIS: I it was only a smokescreen?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, he knew that we worked for a safety and security company, but he did not know the details.

MR P DU PLESSIS: And he had no financial profit, he made no financial gain?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: No, not as far as I know.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Thank you.  Now during this six month period in 1988, where you had to lay low and you were not active, did you have any contact with the structures of the CCB?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: During that period, Chairman, our Co-ordinator, Mr Wouter Basson, he visited us on a monthly basis and later more frequently.

MR P DU PLESSIS: So your contact was Mr Wouter Basson?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, the Co-ordinator.

MR P DU PLESSIS: The name he was known under was?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Christo Britz.

MR P DU PLESSIS: This contact existed, but it was a more or less briefing of what you would have to do?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, he, on an informal basis, he briefed us about the modus operandi of the CCB.

MR P DU PLESSIS: All right.  It is also on record, so I don't want to waste any more time, there were instructions that each one of you would have to establish a so-called blue plan, which was ...

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, but that was only in 1989.

MR P DU PLESSIS: All right.  So if we move to 1989, were you then officially informed from January 1989 that you would be operational, that you would have to become active?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.  January 1989 was the induction course where we were briefed in detail about our activities.

MR P DU PLESSIS: The aims  of the organisation, that is also on record, the maximal disruption, the different methods of disruption of the enemies of the South African Republic.  This course was presented somewhere on a farm?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, that is correct.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Now, just for more clarity, the induction course, that was presented by members of the CCB?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes, the Managing Director, Mr Joe Verster, Heiner Muller, a person called Jaco Black and the logistic person, I will remember his name just now, but they were all administrative, a person Barries.  I don't know what their real identities were, except for Heiner Muller, later I learnt that his name is Dawid Fourie.

MR P DU PLESSIS: In any case, these people were all formally involved with the CCB?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: That is correct.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Now, we already heard evidence about what was briefed to you, what your functions would have been, the maximum disruption of the enemy.  Whose enemy would that be?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: The enemies of the Republic of South Africa, were identified as the ANC, the SACP alliance with the front organisations, the structures of the ANC, the UDF and all its front organisations like the FFF, Jodac, etc.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Were these identified to you as enemies of the Republic of South Africa?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.

MR P DU PLESSIS: And they had to be maximally disrupted?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: That is correct.

MR P DU PLESSIS: I just want confirmation on your part, this maximum disruption, what did it entail in its worst form if you want?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: The elimination of individuals, it is about, that is the maximum form of disruption.

MR P DU PLESSIS: You have already placed on record that would have been used internally?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.

MR P DU PLESSIS: So you knew that the maximum disruption of the enemy would happen within the borders of the Republic of South Africa and were subject to the jurisdiction of this country?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: That is correct.

MR P DU PLESSIS: Now, on this induction course, were you told in which manner these actions had to be executed in order to ensure that you would not be linked to them, or that it would not be revealed that you were involved?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes Chairman, the cycles according to which the projects had to be executed, it was a prescribed method, and the main target of covertness would be that they could not trace it back to you, so your actions had to be executed indirectly, so that you as member did not have to be directly involved in the action.

MR P DU PLESSIS: So to explain, it means that the members of Region 6 were not to gain anything from the - they would not be identified with the murder of a person, it would have to be done through unknown agents, and they would not be able to be traced?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.

MR P DU PLESSIS: If there were any mention, let's say in the unlikely event that you were involved, would you be protected by the State?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Chairman, I heard evidence this week of members in front of me, it was told to me that we act fairly according to the South African Defence Force, against enemies of the Republic of South Africa, but from my experience, I knew that such acts were illegal and the question was asked what would happen to us and it was explained to us that because of the mechanisms in place, in the whole State structure, that we did not have to worry, because we would be protected by the State structures, but I was not given the word indemnity in the technical term.

MR P DU PLESSIS: You didn't understand it as a legal term?

DANIEL F DU TOIT BURGER: Yes.