Amnesty Hearings — Bloemfontein — 1998-08-19

CHAIRPERSON: Did you see them again?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: No, I did not.

CHAIRPERSON: Did you have anything to do with any other weapons?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: Not at all.

CHAIRPERSON: You were accused number 3 weren't you, at the trial?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: That is true.

CHAIRPERSON: Now evidence was led at the trial that on the 22nd of October you took Major Hugo to a sink structure and dug up three R4 rifles, eight magazines and 197 bullets, do you remember that?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: Yes, that is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: What weapons were these?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: If they were the same weapons that we hid there then they were R4's.

CHAIRPERSON: What weapons did you hide there?  I asked you if you saw any other weapons, you said: "No", now you say you hid weapons there, what weapons did you hide there?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: That is the same weapons that Bhani asked me to go and hide them for him.

CHAIRPERSON: Who asked you to go and hide them for him?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: That is Mangalisekile Bhani.

CHAIRPERSON: But you told us you gave them to Mohape and never saw them again.  You told me that, you confirmed it again a few minutes ago, do you remember that?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: Yes, that happened after that.

CHAIRPERSON: After what?  You told us you were given the weapons to keep and you kept them till people came to stay and you then gave them to Mohape.

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: Yes, that is true.

CHAIRPERSON: And that was the last you saw of them?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: I saw them again when we went there with the police to dig them up.

CHAIRPERSON: But when were they buried there?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: We hid them in August.

CHAIRPERSON: Before you gave them to Mohape?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: No.

CHAIRPERSON: After you gave them to Mohape?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: Yes, that is true.

CHAIRPERSON: Why did you tell me that you never saw them again after you gave them to Mohape?  Had you forgotten that there was this evidence?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: That time when we were digging them up they were just a parcel, a wrapped parcel so I was not quite sure whether they were the same weapons that were used or we hid there.

CHAIRPERSON: You told us nothing whatsoever about hiding weapons, you told us on more than one occasion that you gave them to Mohape and when I've just asked you you said that you never saw them again.  Now, because I've questioned you about the evidence at your trial, you say, oh yes, after you gave them to Mohape you went along and buried them.  Why are you lying to us?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: I'm am not telling a lie.

CHAIRPERSON: You said you never saw them again after you gave them to Mohape, now you say that is not true, you went and buried them.

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: Like I've already explained in court, the time when we went with the police it was just a wrapped parcel but I did not see them with my eyes.

CHAIRPERSON: Is that your explanation?

GEORGE THABANG MAZETE: That is correct.

CHAIRPERSON: And there's one other matter which I don't know if counsel can help me with, as to what Exhibit D was at the trial.  I've glanced through the Judgment but I haven't been able to find it.
	It may be that we will have to re-call this applicant tomorrow to clarify that point.

MR STEENKAMP: Mr Chairman, I've endeavoured now to get hold of the register of the Supreme Court so that we can at least get a list of the exhibits and probably all the exhibits itself if needed.

CHAIRPERSON: If we can have that by tomorrow morning.

MR STEENKAMP: As you please Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: And if you can get this statement that was handed in.

MR STEENKAMP: Mr Chairman, apparently that was also an exhibit.

CHAIRPERSON: ...[inaudible] referred to in the Judgment.
	Right, any questions?
Thank you.
WITNESS EXCUSED