Special Hearings — Conscription Hearings — 1997-07-23

PASTOR BOTHA: I'm just going to read the statement asI've prepared it.  It's headed "Statement by Pastor CraigBotha regarding conscription in the SADF".
This following statement has been prepared by Craig Botha regardingmy involvement in the SADF which began initially as a conscriptin January 1978 where I was deployed at seventeen years of ageto Bloemfontein to serve in 1SSB Battalion.  
However after basic training I realised that I would not copeemotionally with two years in the army in the Free State and didnot wish to serve on the border.  I then proceeded to join theS.A. Navy and was transferred from Bloemfontein to Saldanha whereI re-did my basic training in the Navy and subsequently did aradar course and was deployed upon a strike craft which was basedat Salisbury Island in Durban.  My Navy number was 76237825PE,Permanent Force.  I remained in the Navy for a period of fourand a half years, first as a Radar Operator and later on as adiver.
However, it was during the first two years that I would like tocomment on.  It was from September 1978 until the end of 1980that I served first on P1563 and then on P1566 which were strikecraft vessels from the strike craft flotilla and spent this timegoing to sea, doing "patrols" .   Amongst other normalNaval exercises these patrols consisted of a very specialisedoperations in which we often travelled to Langebaan along theCape West Coast where we worked in conjunction with the reconnaissancecommandos based there and we developed a technique of going tosea with inflatable craft accompanying us along with a numberof these highly trained reconnaissance commandos.  Our missionwas to launch these inflatable craft with the commandos on boardinto the water off various strategic points upon which the commandoswould go ashore and they would blow up installations and generallycause havoc, and then they would escape via the sea back to ourwaiting strike craft and we would leave the area at high speed. 
So during the time I served upon these attack vessels we performeda number of operations of which we were instructed to keep secretour destination and operation.  Often we were going to sea fora period of time and we were not told our destination before departure. On a number of occasions we were visited by a number of highranking defence force personnel who wished us well and spoke tous abut the importance of our mission and what we were doing toprotect the country from a total onslaught etc.  
I remember one night on my twentieth birthday on board the ship,because we never went ashore with the Commandos on the 11th ofAugust 1980 being involved in a mission where we were blowingup such installations.  I never spoke to anyone about these missionsand basically felt that we were serving the defence force.  Iwas very politically naive and it was only later that I realisedwhat a lie I had been involved in.  
As I look back upon this period it is with deep shame and regretthat I took part in these acts of sabotage and violent destabilisation. The struggles that our neighbouring states have had to undergo,even to this time, is partially attributable to these missions. 
The good side to the story, however, is that since that time Iwas converted to Christianity, I met the Lord Jesus Christ asmy personal Saviour and God began to reveal to me the inhumanityof apartheid.  This was in the early '80's.  Many years ago Irepented of furthering the aims of apartheid, I dealt with issuesof racism in my own heart.  I joined the ANC in 1990 and beganto support the democratic process already underway within thecountry.  Amongst other things I also mobilised our church tostand for justice and peace.  For example we protested stronglyto the SADF regarding their attack in Umtata on the eighth ofOctober 1993.  
Along with our church, now called Jubilee Community Church inthe Western Cape we also began to work actively towards reconciliationinvolving seeking forgiveness for the evil of apartheid and makingfinancial restitution.  To cut a long story short we are at presentextensively involved in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.  We haveplanted a non-racial church.  The White folk that are part ofthis church have committed themselves to racial reconciliationin a practical way, not just in theory.  We are involved in twopre-schools and are seeking to launch projects to empower thecommunity.  We are also involved in a housing project in TambuSquare, Tambu Village and have seen the hand of God really movingin terms of bringing together  White and Black and healing thedivisions and enmity of the past.  I did not feel I needed toapply for amnesty for I personally did not kill anyone.  I dofeel however that I was part of the overall strategy of destabilisationduring the apartheid years and it was because of that, that I'vecome forward with this account and I've also made the informationavailable because I have been very disappointed to see the lackof courage that has been shown by many in the defence force interms of owning up to deeds like this in the past.  
I really feel that as a South African and as a Christian Pastorthat there's a tremendous hope for this nation if individualscan find the grace to speak the truth and the agents of reconciliationas we face the future together.  
Finally I'd like to suggest that there are probably many SouthAfricans who have been moved by the revelations from the TRC hearingsand would like to get involved practically and financially throughrestitution into a needy community however there seems to be alack of application and advice as to how one can get involvedand I just request that perhaps more effort and guidelines couldbe offered to the general South African public in this regard.

CHAIRPERSON: : Thank you very much Craig.  I'm going toask you two questions as I'd like to focus more on the reconciliationefforts that you have been engaged in.   I was privileged to aattend a church service on Sunday at the church that Craig istalking about.  I just dropped by on a surprise visit and I satthere and there was something very surprising, very strange aboutbeing in that church.  It wasn't so much about the White peopleand the Black people worshipping together I was just puzzled inmy mind what is strange about this experience.  It occurred tome that the comfort, the lack of self consciousness on the partof the kids who were playing around and the lack of self consciousnesson the White who were in a Black area was what was strange aboutit.  It was really very different very, very strange where peoplejust walked in as if they belonged there which obviously meantthat they did belong there, and to me this represented very profoundhopefulness that these things are possible.  The only mixing I'veseen is where Black people have moved into White areas.  I'venever seen anything like what I experienced in that church andI was really very touched by it.  My question to you Craig ishow do people, White people approach you and why is it that peopleseek out to go to Khayelitsha to worship on a Sunday morning?

PASTOR BOTHA: I think what we've found is despite ofwhat we've been through as a nation there are a lot of peoplelooking for places and areas they can go to in order to experiencepractical reconciliation.  And I think what has happened is thatwithin the church we've been involved with and the project I thinkit's provided an arena where people can come in and begin to workthrough issues and begin to meet people from different backgroundsand language groups and start a process together which is veryexciting.  That's been good to just being a part of facilitatingthat.