Amnesty Hearings — Welkom — 1998-11-17

MR MAPOMA: Yes, but when you wrote this letter the death sentence was no longer in operation.  You wrote this letter only on the 20th of March 1997.  Do you understand that?

SOLOMON SERA: Yes, I agree with you.  That is why I say I was affected by the death sentence.

MR MAPOMA: So the contents which I've just pointed out in this letter which you wrote to the Amnesty Committee were not true contents?

SOLOMON SERA: What is correct is what I've explained before this Committee.

MR MAPOMA: Okay.  Thank you, Chairperson, no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MAPOMA

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Mr Mhlaba, do you have any re-examination?

MR MHLABA: Just one aspect, Mr Chairman.
	Do you know whether Mr Mohomane has also written a letter to the TRC?

SOLOMON SERA: He told me that he wrote a letter while I gave him this letter to be delivered at the TRC offices.

MR MHLABA: Did you see the letter he wrote, did you have an opportunity of reading it or have you never had such an opportunity?

SOLOMON SERA: I never had the opportunity to read that letter.

MR MHLABA: You have mentioned to the Committee that some of the aspects which are referred to in this letter were supposed to have been said by Mr Mohomane himself or written by him, can you explain more?  Did he say some of these things to you, what he did?  That is his contact with comrade Craig and you reduced it in writing into your letter.

SOLOMON SERA: He explained this to me.  He told me that he had contact with comrade Craig.

MR MHLABA: So some of the contents here are not applicable to you, is that correct?

SOLOMON SERA: That's correct.

MR MHLABA: Thank you, Chair, I've got no further questions.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR MHLABA

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.  Doctor Tsotsi, do you have any questions to ask the witness?

DR TSOTSI: What was the political relationship between the SDUs and the ANC?

SOLOMON SERA: The SDU was formed after we realised that the ANC was still in negotiations with the government, while on the other side the killings of the people were continuing.  That is when the ANC decided that we should form these Self Defence Units.

DR TSOTSI: Was the SDU a structure of the ANC or was it independent of the ANC?

SOLOMON SERA: It was the structure within the ANC.

DR TSOTSI: That is all.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sibanyoni, do you have any questions to ask the witness?

MR SIBANYONI: I've got no questions, Mr Chairperson.

CHAIRPERSON: You've eluded to this in your evidence but can you explain why when you filled in your application form during April 1996, why you made no mention whatsoever of the Self Defence Units?

SOLOMON SERA: When I was filling this application form it was before I met my commander.  So we received the forms from the prison where I was based, so I didn't receive any advice as to how this form should be completed.

CHAIRPERSON: So are you saying that the filling in of this application form which appears - if you can just confirm, perhaps Mr Mhlaba can show it to you, which appears on page 19 through to 23 of the bundle, when you filled in that form you say you did that without any consultation with Mr Mohomane and you did it independently just by yourself without any assistance at all from anyone?

SOLOMON SERA: I was alone when I filled this form on my own.

CHAIRPERSON: And is there any particular reason why when in response to a specific question about if you were instructed or the order was given to perform the act by any person, who was that person, and you put not applicable (N/A), when you now quite clearly say it was Mr Mohomane who instructed you.  Are you saying you also filled that in as not applicable (N/A) because you didn't quite understand the form?

SOLOMON SERA: I was under the impression that I will only reveal the name of the person who gave me the instruction before the Committee.

CHAIRPERSON: So then why did you mention Mr Mohomane as being your commander in the letter that you wrote the Committee later, if it was your impression that you would only mention names when you actually appeared before the Committee?

SOLOMON SERA: I mentioned him in that letter because I had already received the advice from him, that I should mention that I got the instructions from him.

CHAIRPERSON: At the time of the incidents, 5 June 1993, whereabout did you live?

SOLOMON SERA: I lived at Momotsha(?)

CHAIRPERSON: Sorry, what place?

SOLOMON SERA: M-O-M-O-T-S-H-A.

CHAIRPERSON: Whereabouts is that?

SOLOMON SERA: It's about 20 to 25 kilometres from Phuthaditjhaba.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mhlaba, do you have any questions arising out of questions that have been put by members of the panel?

MR MHLABA: No, I have no questions, Mr Chairman.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR MHLABA

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Sesele?

MR SESELE: I have no questions, Mr Chairman.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR SESELE

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Mapoma?

MR MAPOMA: I have no questions, thank you.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR MAPOMA

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, thank you, Mr Sera, that concludes your testimony.  You may stand down now.
WITNESS EXCUSED