Amnesty Hearings — Johannesburg — 1998-06-09

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Mr Chairperson, someone shouted that there's a vehicle on the way, but because originally it was me and Etienne Visser's duty to remain behind the chevron board and look out for vehicles that could come from either way, in any case then someone shouted that there's a vehicle on the way, and some of us whose adrenaline was rushing and who jumped into the Sentra, it was Martin van der Schyff, Andre Visser, Piet Matthew's, Kallie Meiring and myself, and we drove away, but before we left, Chief Commandant Phil Kloppers shouted that we must wait for them at the town hall, and we also did that.

MR PRINSLOO: At the town hall, what did you do there?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Mr Chairperson, then we waited for Chief Commandant Klopper, Commandant Deon Martins, Gert Diedericks and Visser, who remained behind at the scene, to meet us at the town hall, because it was said that we must meet them there.

MR PRINSLOO: Where did you go from there?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: We waited there but they did not arrive, and from there we drove back to my father's house and we waited there.

MR PRINSLOO: And did some of the other people arrive there?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, that is correct, after a while everybody arrived except Gert Diedericks.

MR PRINSLOO: At your house what happened there when everybody was together?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Each one was asked who shot.   Everybody said that they did shoot, those who had firearms.   And someone was asked to go and get a bag from the Mercedes.

MR BRINK: I'm sorry, Mr Prinsloo, everybody said they did shoot, those who had firearms.   Who was there that did not have a firearm?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Gert Diedericks.

MR BRINK: But he was not there?

MR PRINSLOO: You said someone was sent to go and get a bag from the Mercedes?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: I do not know who was sent, but in any case, Chief Commandant Phil Klopper opened the bag and showed us the ear of a black man and he said to us that this ear will be taken to General Japie Oelofse.

MR PRINSLOO: Did you then disperse?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, everybody went home.

MR PRINSLOO: Afterwards, what did you do, did you openly walk around?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Mr Chairperson, Commandant Kloppers said that we must lay low and that we mustn't be seen with each other or in the company of each other.

MR PRINSLOO: Who said that you must have a low profile?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Commandant Phil Kloppers on behalf of General Japie.    It seems that if this instruction did come from Japie Oelofse.

MR PRINSLOO: If you say Japie?,

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: It's Japie Oelofse.

MR PRINSLOO: Now on the 15th of December, sorry, the 16th of December, did you attend any festivities?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, I was at the Voortrekker Monument with the Day of the Covenant festivities, I was there in uniform.

MR PRINSLOO: What happened there?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Mr Chairperson, we were congratulated by General Oelofse and they asked us to also form a guard of honour for the leader and his generals in staff during the festivities there.

MR PRINSLOO: On the 6th of January 1994 were you taken into custody?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, that is correct.

MR PRINSLOO: Were you detained according to article 39 of the Act, were you detained separately or with the others?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Separately.

MR PRINSLOO: At that same day, on the 6th of January, did you make a statement to a police officer?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: That is correct, yes.   I did not want to, but I was forced to.

MR PRINSLOO: The statement, honourable Chairperson, begins on page 185 up till page 190.    After you were exempted from the acts, is that correct?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, with the other applicants.

MR PRINSLOO: General Oelofse, was he also detained?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, that is correct, it was regarding bombs that went off also during that period of the festivities.

MR PRINSLOO: Did General Oelofse talk to you or spoke in general?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: While he was there with us, he, at various times, praised us and congratulated us with what we did.  He said that it was part of the struggle.

MR PRINSLOO: Was anything promised to you while you were there?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, he gave us medallions.   General Japie Oelofse promised us.

MR PRINSLOO: And during December of '95, did someone visit you at that stage?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, that is correct, the leader, Eugene Terreblanche and certain of his generals in staff came to visit us in Johannesburg Prison.

MR PRINSLOO: What was said to you there?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Mr Chairperson, Mr Eugene Terreblanche said that all the "boere" participated and if they did, we would not have been in jail.

MR PRINSLOO: And at any stage did you receive any promotions?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, I did, I was now lieutenant.

MR PRINSLOO: Lieutenant in which section of the AWB, are you a member of the "Ystergarde"?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes.   Originally not, but after that day I was promoted to lieutenant in the "Ystergarde".

MR PRINSLOO: And this "Ystergarde", how are they seen in the AWB?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: They are seen as the elite of the AWB Special Task, especially to protect the leader and some of the generals.

MR PRINSLOO: You've already heard evidence where posters were made with some of the leaders' faces on?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: And that they said that they also made a placard or a poster with my face on it.

MR PRINSLOO: Was that for the release of you and the other group?

CHAIRPERSON: Gentlemen, can we adjourn now?

MR PRINSLOO: I beg your pardon, Mr Chairman?

CHAIRPERSON: Can we adjourn, is it an appropriate place to adjourn?

MR PRINSLOO: As it pleases the committee.   Certainly.

CHAIRPERSON: Until half past eleven.

MR PRINSLOO: Thank you.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: (still under affirmation)

MR PRINSLOO: (cont)
	When you acted on the specific day, the 12th December 1993, did you do it for yourself or on behalf of someone else?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Chairperson, I did it for the organisation, it was an instruction.

MR PRINSLOO: Which organisation is that?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: It's the AWB.

MR PRINSLOO: Did you gain any benefit from this?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: None, Chairperson.

MR PRINSLOO: Did you do it out of malice?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: No, Chairperson, not at all.

MR PRINSLOO: And the application which is in front of the committee, do you confirm the contents thereof?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes I do.

MR PRINSLOO: Thank you, Chairperson.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR PRINSLOO
NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MRS VAN DER WALT
NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR WAGENER

MR KNOETZE: Mr Badenhorst, except for the Honda and the Cressida, how many other vehicles, can you specifically remember, which were stopped by you?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Chairperson, three or four vehicles, that's excluding the Cressida and the Toyota.

MR KNOETZE: For example you referred to the F100, can we accept that there were two or three more?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: That's correct.

MR KNOETZE: Could you hear what was discussed with the people occupying those vehicles by Martin and Kloppers?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: I could hear what the questions were that they asked the occupants.

MR KNOETZE: Could you hear if they were asked with regards to their political affiliations?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: Yes, that's correct, I could hear that.

MR KNOETZE: And what did the occupants of the F100 say?

FREDERICK JACOBUS BADENHORST: I couldn't recall exactly what the occupants of the F100 said, but all those who were driving were not of the ANC or ANC/SACP alliance.