Amnesty Hearings — White River — 2000-05-04

MR SNYDERS: I say once again I shall stand by my statement and that what I had said here was the truth and only the truth.

MR VAN WYK: I see from the charge sheet and the list of witnesses, that two Magistrate's names appear on this list - if I could just find the page for you, page 28, are these statements which you had deposed to before the Magistrate?

MR SNYDERS: Yes, that is correct.

MR VAN WYK: Magistrate Moldenhauer and du Preez.  At number 14 is Moldenhauer, do you see that?

MR SNYDERS: Magistrate Moldenhauer visited me in prison, but I deposed to my statements in front of du Preez.

MR VAN WYK: And did you admit your involvement there?

MR SNYDERS: That's correct, yes.

MR VAN WYK: May we accept that in that statement your brother was not mentioned?

MR SNYDERS: No, he was not at all.  Basically nobody was involved there.

MR VAN WYK: I see.  So you accepted responsibility for your actions then.

MR SNYDERS: Yes, because that was under oath.

MR VAN WYK: Mr Chairman, I've no further questions in respect of this applicant, I can just point out that an additional affidavit has been prepared by my client, I think copies have been supplied to yourselves - ja, I see some of your Committee Members do have copies, and I will merely ask that this affidavit be accepted on behalf of my client.  I do not intend tendering any evidence, I'm just handing in the affidavit for that purpose.  Thank you very much, Mr Chairman.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR VAN WYK

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr van Wyk.  I just want to arrange for these things to be marked, so that we have a proper reference to all these documents.  There are further supplementary affidavits from all of the applicants, they are attested to - I'll just make sure if they were attested to on the same date ...(intervention)

MR VAN WYK: Mr Chairman, if I may assist, it appears that the last page is page 137.

CHAIRPERSON: 137, yes.

MR VAN WYK: And then I want to suggest that this may be marked then page 138 and onwards.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, so those - was that 137 - 132?  What did you say, Mr van Wyk, what was your last page?

MR VAN WYK: My last page that I have is page 137, that is the additional affidavit of ...

CHAIRPERSON: Oh, of Ras, yes.

MR VAN WYK: Of Mr Ras, the third applicant.

CHAIRPERSON: That's right, yes.

MR VAN WYK: I'll suggest pages 138, 139 and 140 be allocated ...

CHAIRPERSON: Very well.

MR VAN WYK: Thank you, Mr Chairman and Committee.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mr Morgan, any questions?

MR MORGAN: As it pleases the Committee, Mr Chairman, just a few questions on behalf of the victims.
	Mr Snyders, is it correct that in the execution of all the bombings, special care was taken to prevent the loss of life?

MR SNYDERS: Yes, that's correct.

MR MORGAN: Would it be correct to say that quite a bit of planning went into these bomb attacks?

MR SNYDERS: Yes, that is correct.

MR MORGAN: Could you elaborate on the planning that went into the execution of the bombing at Nelspruit High School?

MR SNYDERS: I personally did the reconnaissance work in the area, as well as watched Mr Kon Booyens' movements for approximately there weeks.  I determined the distances and drew up a timing schedule as to how we would arrive there and how we would leave.  And as I have said previously, the planning was for 3 o'clock that night when he would not be at home and no workers or any other staff would be in the vicinity.  I think it was a Saturday night, if I recall correctly.
	So the misunderstanding came about with the two bombs which were supposed to be detonated at 3 o'clock that night at the Agricultural College and the Agricultural College's explosion sent out an echo over Nelspruit and it appeared that all the bombs had been detonated at the same time, and then we departed.  
	I said earlier on that I am terribly sorry because of this because it was never our objective to hurt any people, our actions were not directed at any people or to take anyone's life away.

MR MORGAN: Mr Snyders, are you saying that it is usual for Mr Booyens not to be at his homestead at 3a.m. in the morning?

MR SNYDERS: They were away that weekend and they were not home that Saturday evening because the school was away with certain sporting obligations.

MR MORGAN: Mr Snyders, when did you realise that the bomb had not detonated at the time it was supposed to have gone off?

MR SNYDERS: We only realised that it did not detonate the following morning when we heard it on the news, because the police had a tremendous task force which had surrounded the school.  That was after a certain Mr Sithole, who was the gardener there, had picked up the explosive device and the one exploded in his hand, which had the timing mechanism on it and by picking up the bomb he pulled out the detonators of the other two and the police defused these.  That is the first that we heard of this.

MR MORGAN: Was the bomb supposed to go off on a Sunday, Mr Snyders?

MR SNYDERS: Yes, it was actually Saturday night, but it was actually Sunday morning 3 o'clock.

MR MORGAN: As it pleases the Committee, Mr Chairman.  In light of the answers received, I have no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MORGAN

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Mr Morgan.  Mr van der Bank?

MR VAN DER BANK: Thank you, Chairperson.
	Mr Snyders, it is correct that extensive damage was caused to the school at Nelspruit, as well as the Agricultural College at Nelspruit, because of these bomb explosions where you were involved in.

MR SNYDERS: Yes, that is correct.

MR VAN DER BANK: And it is also correct that civil claims were instituted against you, which at this stage are delayed, pending the result of your amnesty application.

MR SNYDERS: Yes, that is correct.

MR VAN DER BANK: To return to these explosions in order to determine the power of these explosives, is it correct that you had to do certain tests?

MR SNYDERS: That's correct.

MR VAN DER BANK: Would you please explain to the Committee how these tests were done, in order to determine how much damage would be done to these buildings?

MR SNYDERS: We carried out various tests with various materials and various metal structures and the purpose of this was to get a container which would be shredded apart, and the amfax is a slow explosive but it has much power, and we built these things and we went and tested them in the plantations until we had the correct size.  One has certain explosives where charges are used, where fast charges are used, and others where slow charges are used and others that are used for demolitions.

MR VAN DER BANK: Will you please tell the Committee how many killogrammes of explosives were used at the High School in Nelspruit.

MR SNYDERS: At Nelspruit we used approximately two to two-and-a-half killogrammes.  That is the explosives excluding the containers.

MR VAN DER BANK: And how many killogrammes of explosives were used at Lowveld High School?

MR SNYDERS: I think at Lowveld High we used four killogrammes.

MR VAN DER BANK: You are aware that at the Agricultural College approximately R12 800 damage was caused because of this explosion.

MR SNYDERS: Yes, that is correct.

MR VAN DER BANK: And furthermore, the damage caused to the building at Nelspruit High was approximately R6 000.

MR SNYDERS: That is correct, yes.

MR VAN DER BANK: Sir, I wish to commence with your objectives when you planted these bombs.  Would you please tell the Committee whether the principals of these schools were members of the NP, or Broederbond?