Amnesty Hearings — Durban — 1998-11-17

MR VISSER: Thank you Mr Chairman, may I call Mr Du Preez to give evidence.

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: (sworn states)

MR VISSER: Are you Salmon Johannes Gerhardus du Preez?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: And you apply for amnesty in the case of Ms Ndwandwe as well as Pumeso Nxiweni and the kwaMashu 3?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: That is correct Mr Chairperson.

MR VISSER: You filed an application in terms of the Act?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes.

MR VISSER: And that application appears in volume 2, on page 24 and following.  Is that correct?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: In your application on page 26, you admitted that your memory about what happened, is vague and that you do not have any documentation or any other information where you could refresh your memory with, and my question is that during this period in which you signed your application, you did receive information from your co-applicants that refreshed your memory concerning the details of this incident?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: You then on page 28 at the bottom of the page, referred to the amnesty applications of Steyn, Botha and Forster and you confirmed it in where it is applicable to you, is that correct?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I do not have a page 28 in front of me Mr Chairperson.  That is correct Mr Chairperson.

MR VISSER: You mentioned this in your amnesty application, or about the amnesty application of Ndwandwe, is that correct?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, Mr Chairperson.

MR VISSER: Now concerning Nxiweni, on page 29 you said that you and Sergeant Wasserman eliminated him and buried him in a sugar plantation.  We know that Steyn was not involved in this?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is as far as Nxiweni.

MR VISSER: And then the kwaMashu 3, Steyn was again not involved?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: Was it your intention to say that in that incident or to which you referred to in Botha's statement, that you would like this to be added to your application?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: On the 29th of November 1953 you were born in Pretoria, and you did your schooling or you completed your schooling in 1972 in Durban?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: Your father was a member of the South African Police?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: And you, yourself, grew up in we can describe it as a police culture?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: What were your parents' political and moral viewpoints?  What were your parents like?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: They were very conservative and they were both members of the National Party.

MR VISSER: Were they also conservative?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, they were conservative.

MR VISSER: As members of the National Party, and the party to which your parents belonged to, did this influence your viewpoints from childhood?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, certainly so.

MR VISSER: And did you see anything wrong in the policy of apartheid that was upheld by the National Party?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: No Mr Chairperson, I supported this.

MR VISSER: Directly after school, you joined the South African Police in 1973?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct Mr Chairperson.

MR VISSER: Have you got anything to say about the unrest during that time?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: I was a member of the Special Branch and I also served in the 1976 unrests.

MR VISSER: During that time, what was said to you concerning what your tasks would entail as a member of the Special Force?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: When I became or joined the Special Task Force, we had to be willing to kill if it was necessary.

MR VISSER: Yes, this now specifically refer to what we in general consider as the political struggle?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct Mr Chairperson.

MR MALAN: I am sorry Mr Visser, I do not know if I heard you correctly, did you say that you must be willing to kill other people if it is necessary?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, to kill people if it is necessary.

MR MALAN: Was this a general statement or was it said what the circumstances would be?  It is a very broad statement, isn't it, when would it be necessary, did they tell you?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: It was not specified no, but it was part of the selection, that if you are willing to kill any person, you would not have been selected in this process.

MR MALAN: In other words if you were a pacifist?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Correct.

MR MALAN: But if you were an ordinary person who in an emergency situation, would kill, then you would succeed?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR MALAN: It had nothing to do with illegal activities, you did not read it like that?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: No.

MR MALAN: Thank you.

MR VISSER: Just to explain this better, this was part of the psychometric test that you did, to find out if you would be suitable for this Special Task Force?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: In your capacity as a member of this Task Force, you came face to face with the realities of the internal warfare that was going on at that stage?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.  During that time I also served in the previous South West and I was also applied there as more than just a soldier, we were an Anti-terrorist movement.

MR VISSER: Were you in contact?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes.

MR VISSER: Can you say how many contacts you had?  Not in numbers, but was it a few?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, it was in more than 10 contacts where various terrorists were killed and also of our own members.

MR VISSER: Where there was firing at both sides?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: You refer or I would like to refer the Committee to specifically volume 2, the Exhibit E47 that appeared before the Amnesty Committee, in this case  in volume 2, that is the statement of the Generals.

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: We are not going to read this, but what is your comment on the situation that is explained in paragraph 13 and 14 and 16 concerning your own situation?  Can you identify yourself with this?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes.

MR VISSER: In 1979 you were placed with the Security Branch in Port Natal?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

MR VISSER: In Durban?

SALMON JOHANNES GERHARDUS DU PREEZ: Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: Are you referring to page 142?