Amnesty Hearings — East London — 1998-04-07

CHAIRPERSON: Well alright, we'll make it two o'clock if it meets your convenience.  We'll now adjourn till two o'clock.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS
ON RESUMPTION

MR KIECK: ...[inaudible] of all races, mainly white, with golf being an expensive game, we had seventeen black members at the time.

MR PRIOR: Just as an aside, Mr Ivan Quelani, was he a member of the Golf Club?

MR KIECK: Mr Quelani joined the club in 1983 I think it was he was one of the first black members that joined the club.

MR PRIOR: And what was his status as a golfer, do you know?

MR KIECK: Mr Quelani was a very talented he represented the club in the A side league, he represented Border Golf, he then in the later years became a professional golfer.

MR PRIOR: On the 28th November 1992, it was a Saturday, there was a golfing event, if I may call it that, at the club is that right?

MR KIECK: Correct, most Saturday afternoons are sponsored Golf Days by various companies and various associations.  On the 28th Mr Radie sponsored the tournament that afternoon.

MR PRIOR: Now Mr Radie we heard was a Nationalist Party Member of Parliament is that correct?

MR KIECK: Correct.

MR PRIOR: So you say he sponsored the Golf Day.  Are you able to say how much was the sponsorship or the value of the sponsorship, approximately?

MR KIECK: Most Saturday afternoon golf is sponsored to the tune of approximately R2 - R2500, to that value.

MR PRIOR: And is that that at each hole there is a small or a prize to the winner of that particular hole?

MR KIECK: Not necessarily, if you occasional short hole there are prizes but the tournament is normally the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th people get a prize.

MR PRIOR: Now the organisation behind that Golf Day, would the course have had been booked in advance or not?

MR KIECK: Prior notice would have had to been obtained - that depends if the golf - if that particular Saturday afternoon wasn't booked for any specific date and then when Mr Radie asked what Saturdays are available, at short notice he would get a day but normally they're two months in advance the Saturdays are taken.

MR PRIOR: We also heard evidence that the wine circle, the wine tasting club or the circle had a function, a Christmas function in the Clubhouse as well.

MR KIECK: Yes that evening at eight o'clock the wine circle would have gathered to have had their end of season party.

MR PRIOR: And would a booking have been incumbent or necessary?

MR KIECK: Yes approximately two months prior to the date.

MR PRIOR: And the catering would be done by the club is that right?

MR KIECK: The club, we had a qualified chef, I think that was the reason why we hadjust employed a chef at the club and the wine circle probably would have been his first major function.

MR PRIOR: Now, it's common cause and you've heard the evidence that the applicants, being members of APLA, had carefully planned an attack on the King William's Town Golf Club which was launched round about 10 o'clock that evening, is that correct?

MR KIECK: Correct, ten to ten the blast took place.

MR PRIOR: And were you on the premises at that time?

MR KIECK: I was no further than five paces away from the applicant.

MR PRIOR: Were you in the dining room area where the wine club was having a function or were you in the bar?

MR KIECK: I was in the wine - in the lounge.

MR PRIOR: Are you able just in a brief description of the event just to describe to the Committee what you witnessed?

MR KIECK: We'd had a very pleasant evening up until that point, we were just in the process of serving port at the end of the dinner when I noticed the swing doors being opened and two gentlemen crawl in.  They then rose to their feet then I saw the firearm, the rifle come up and shots were fired.  There was a tremendous explosion and they disappeared and then there was another explosion almost simultaneously or few seconds afterwards elsewhere in the club.  The windows and the doors all swung open, glass was flying around.  I then noticed two people run past me in the passage to the front door.  I then quickly moved to the bar area where I found the patrons on the bar side all huddled up and shaken up, taking cover.

MR PRIOR: Can I just stop you there?  Was anyone injured in the bar area as far as you can remember?

MR KIECK: Not seriously.

MR PRIOR: And in the dining room where the function was, the dinner?

MR KIECK: No that looked like a battlefield.

MR PRIOR: Is it correct that Mr and Mrs Davis and Mr and Mrs MacDonald were fatally injured?

MR KIECK: They were.

MR PRIOR: As well as several other people?

MR KIECK: A lot of people were very seriously damaged.

MR PRIOR: Did you compile as list of the injured persons?

MR KIECK: I did.

MR PRIOR: Is this the list that you compiled?

MR KIECK: That is the list I compiled.

MR PRIOR: May I hand it up Mr Chairman?  I have copies for the other members.

CHAIRPERSON: EXHIBIT D

MR PRIOR: This is not in dispute, I understand then obviously medical attention and first aid was applied by the members of the club themselves on the injured and the dying.

MR KIECK: That's correct.  They were very fortunate there was a doctor in the bar at the time who was off duty so he was, you know, he was there immediately, probably took him a little while after he was shaken but calls went to hospitals, police to get, summon help.

MR PRIOR: And then did the emergency services then arrive and take control of the scene?

MR KIECK: The emergency service took a little while to get there, the police were out there reasonably quickly.

MR PRIOR: Alright I just want to come back then to the - sorry if I may just show you EXHIBIT C.  Mr Sunday could give me his copy I've leant my copy to one of the victims.  Have you gone through EXHIBIT C as far as the photographs are concerned which give an idea of the club?

MR KIECK: No I haven't.

MR PRIOR: If you could maybe just page through that, if I could just bring your attention to photographs 26.  Does 26 depict the dining room area?

MR KIECK: It does.

MR PRIOR: And photographs 41 and 42.

MR KIECK: Yes, it certainly does.

MR PRIOR: And the other photographs depict the surrounds or the surrounding area of the Golf Club is that correct?

MR KIECK: Correct.

MR PRIOR: And also affixed to the last page is there a plan, floor plan, of the clubhouse setting out the various areas, you know the offices and the various facilities at the clubhouse and that seems to be made by the police.  Is that correct?

MR KIECK: Correct.

MR PRIOR: Mr Chairman, it's just for confirmation, I don't intend to refer to any specific area I think the sketch plan is self-explanatory.
	Mr Kieck if you could - you've heard the evidence given by the applicants in particular the applicant Mr Xundu that in essence the target was or the information was that on this evening Mr Radie, the Nationalist Member of Parliament and his entourage which would have included other high ranking citizens whether of the Nationalist Party or the Police Services or the Army would have been in attendance?  You heard that evidence?

MR KIECK: Yes I did.

MR PRIOR: Would you like to comment on that and maybe put it in the proper perspective?

MR KIECK: Well Mr Radie himself organised the Gold Day, I think he did have the Member of Parliament from East London, Mr Billy Nel at the Golf Day, I think they played golf, other than that there wasn't anybody else of any significance, normal club members maybe one or two visitors.

MR PRIOR: Can I just stop you there?  Was the theme of the day not the Nationalist Party Golf Day or anything like that?

MR KIECK: Well Mr Radie was Nationalist Party so I suppose you could draw conclusions.  I don't think it was advertised as such it was a National Party Golf Day.

MR PRIOR: Were there any political speeches or speeches given at the end of the Golf Day?

MR KIECK: No, not at all.   Mr Radie might have thanked everybody for coming.