Amnesty Hearings — Port Elizabeth — 1997-09-10

MR SNYMAN: "I, Harold Snyman, is 68 years of
age and was born at Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape.  I grew up in Uitenhage where, in a strict, conservative and Afrikaans home.  We were all members of the Dutch Reformed Church.
		Initially I went to a farm school, but I completed my secondary schooling education at the secondary school Humansdorp.  I joined the South African Police immediately after the completion of my schooling.  During my formative years, I became unconsciously a member or took part in the aparthied era and was convinced at the end of my schooling that apartheid was necessary for the continuing survival of the Afrikaans speaking White person on the Southern extreme of Africa."

MR BOOYENS: During 1948 when the National Party became the Government, you were already a police officer.  Is that correct?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Did you at all times support the apartheid policy of the National Party Government?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: The apartheid policy of the National Party which should be common knowledge, was based on the separation of races and the principle that Whites will govern the country?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Against this background and the circumstances of your childhood, could you find any error in this principle?

MR SNYMAN: No, your Honour, we supported this heartily.

MR BOOYENS: With regard to the police during those times,  what had the general attitude of the police been during your early years in the police?  What would your own attitude and the attitude of your colleagues have been towards the Government of the day?

MR SNYMAN: Our attitude as colleagues had been that the South African Government as constituted at that time had to be supported and kept in Government.

MR BOOYENS: During the 1950s there were - there might have been prior incidents, but while you were in service of the police, you became aware of the so-called Quo-Quo incidents.  Are you
aware of this?

MR SNYMAN: I am aware of this.

MR BOOYENS: Are these incidents in what is now known as the Eastern Cape Province?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Were you also aware of the fact that the ANC and the PAC were banned in 1961?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct, your Honour.

MR BOOYENS: You also have knowledge of the 1961 Sharpeville incident?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: You were also aware of the founding of Umkhonto weSizwe in 1960.  Is that correct?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Were you throughout, or rather what had been the attitude in the police and in the environment in which you found yourself with regard to these incidents and occurrences in relation to the South African Government?

MR SNYMAN: It was very clear that we as police officers had to make every possible effort to maintain the state, or rather the Government in control, in power and that we had to act against all forces that came against them.

MR BOOYENS: Would you say that it might have been the
philosophy or the context within which you lived at that time?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct, you Honour.

MR BOOYENS: You have already mentioned that during 1965 you were transferred to the security branch in Pretoria.

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: The commanding officer of the security branch or at that time, who would that have been?

MR SNYMAN: It was Brig H A van der Berg, the later Genl van der Berg who was then the head of security.

MR BOOYENS: That is the person who was known as "Tall Hendrik" or "Lang Hendrik" and who later became the chief of BOSS;  the Bureau of State Security.

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Did you ever meet Genl van der Berg as your commanding officer?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Did he on occasion, and I'm thinking of you as security police in general, did he give you talks or lectures?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: What kind of a person was Genl van der Berg, in your eyes?

MR SNYMAN: He was a person who as we saw it, emphasised to us that we must make every possible effort and at all cost must keep the then Government in government.  He could be qualified as a very strong man.

MR BOOYENS: Apart from maintaining the Government in power, what was his attitudes towards the liberation organisations and with regard to organisations such as the South African Communist Party?

MR SNYMAN: It was that we as members of the Force must throw all of our efforts into the struggle against these people.

MR BOOYENS: In what section of the security branch did you work at the security branch head office?

MR SNYMAN: I was on the administrative staff at security branch head office.

MR BOOYENS: Could you tell the Commission what your tasks would have included?

MR SNYMAN: All of the administrative correspondence would have been handled by us in that section.

MR BOOYENS: What would this have included?

MR SNYMAN: It would roughly have included everything with regard to staff in the security branch head office.  It did not include political reports;  those were dealt with by other sections.

MR BOOYENS: Mr Chairman, my learned friend has indicated to me that he's got difficulty in hearing the witness, but unfortunately I think we have got a problem with the acoustics here.  I don't know
whether there's a possible solution. I don't know. Is Afrikaans op een?  Did the security reports that came in go through your hands in your administrative capacity?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: What did the security overviews and reports deal with?

MR SNYMAN: It contained all of the events of security relevance throughout the country.

MR BOOYENS: While serving in that capacity, you dealt with reports from the perspective of the police and you would have had an overview of the security situation in the country as a whole?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Subsequently, during 1967 you were returned to the security branch Port Elizabeth.  Is that correct?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: In what capacity?

MR SNYMAN: I was in command of the administrative staff at security branch Port Elizabeth.

MR BOOYENS: What would your task and functions have included?

MR SNYMAN: All incoming and all mail that came in and was sent away as well as the reports received from other offices of the security branch as well as the monthly security overview of the
situation.

MR BOOYENS: Could you read these reports?

MR SNYMAN: That is the case.

MR BOOYENS: And you therefore would have had a global picture of the presumed security situation at that time?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Did you in - did you remain in the administrative section until 1971?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: During 1969 the later colonel, then Maj Goosen took command of the security branch in Port Elizabeth?

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: During 1971 you were promoted to the rank of captain.

MR SNYMAN: That is correct.

MR BOOYENS: Could you perhaps explain to the Commission which desk, as it was referred to, you then found yourself at and how the division of these so-called desks was arranged?

MR SNYMAN: I was transferred to the unit that dealt with so-called Coloured and Asian matters.  There was also a unit that dealt with Black matters.  There was an administrative section, a technical section and also a unit that dealt with White affairs.

MR BOOYENS: That is fine.  If we can then return to the second paragraph of your statement on page two of your application under "Kort persoonlike oorsig" - "Brief personal overview".
	Could you read the following paragraphs into the record.