Special Hearings — Helderberg Flight Special Hearing — 1998-06-03

MR VAN RENSBURG: Mr Chairman, I recall that part and I can tell you a lot was done to get hold of them, but in the final analysis they couldn't trace those people.  They made the noise at the time to say they've seen this and they've seen that, and then it was followed up to please get hold of them because we were very uncertain about what happened in the final minutes of this sad flight of the Helderberg, and if anyone would have come forward from that part of the world close to the point of impact with that type of information, we would have considered it very carefully, but they have not pitched up.  It was eventually said, no, they can't trace these people and they don't know where they are.

MS PATTA: Amazing, it took me 10 minutes to find them.  I arrived in Mauritius at 09h00, looked in the phone book and phoned them, and they're at the same place they've been for the last ten years, and I actually got their names and addresses from statements that were given to Civil Aviation investigators on Mauritius Island.

MR VAN RENSBURG: That may be so, Mr Chairman, but now I can talk of experience here, we had no jurisdiction to subpoena witnesses to force them to come before.

CHAIRPERSON: That's another reason now, that's another reason.

MR VAN RENSBURG: No, no, but I mean we've tried and the moment you've asked people, Mr Chairman, really I must tell you here, we have tried to get hold of them, but they refused when they heard that they must testify and they must come under oath, they just tried to wipe that thing out and then not to get it close to us and they couldn't follow it further and we couldn't get hold of those people to come and tell us exactly what they've seen.

MS PATTA: Well we'll hear evidence from them tomorrow because we've got - they were very easily traceable and they said to me that they were amazed and surprised because they were waiting and willing and wanting to come to South Africa and they indicated to Roy Downs and Rene van Zyl that they were willing to come at the moments notice to South Africa to testify before the Truth Commission.  In fact the one of them had been a witness in something else a year previously and he said he knows that their testimony was very important and he was shocked that South Africa never came to find them, it was only 10 years later when I phoned them up that they had contact with South Africa again.

MR VAN RENSBURG: Well if they can give any evidence that could give any further light, I'll be as pleased as you could be about it because it wasn't available at the time, but I say, get the evidence and cross-examine them and see exactly what it is.  It may just give us more light on this incident.

CHAIRPERSON: Well for the moment you will be pleased to know that your pick-up truck is here so that you should be excused and released and should not miss your flight.

MR VAN RENSBURG: I thank you, Mr Chairman, am I excused for this proceedings, I mean, it won't be necessary to come here again?

CHAIRPERSON: No, well, for the moment I do not consider that you will be called, certain in the immediate future, should the need arise I'm sure it will be in terms and conditions that will have been arranged with you ahead of time.

MR VAN RENSBURG: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: You are excused.
WITNESS EXCUSED

UNKNOWN: Mr Chairman, I wish to call one more witness, do you want a break?

CHAIRPERSON: Call the witness, Ms Terreblanche.  He has written a book, I don't know if his evidence is going to be as long as the book, because if that is going to be so, maybe we need to consider whether we need to take his evidence now.
RECORDING ENDS