Amnesty Hearings — Nelspruit — 2000-10-09

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: A Russian Cocktail, Mr Chairperson, in layman's terms, is a petrol bomb, it was just nicknamed a Russian Cocktail.  That's when you fill empty glass bottles with a certain amount of petrol and you add some washing powder, you even add some grated soap in, which makes it more into a paste and you put a cloth fuse in at the top and when lit, you throw that at the specific target and on breaking, that starts a fire.

MR CORNELIUS: I see.  How many did you prepare, can you remember?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: I can't recall, but at least about 3 to 4.

MR CORNELIUS: Was there any form of surveillance exercised over this property?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Yes, prior to performing this operation, myself, the askaris, with the help from the people of Witbank Security Branch, we did do surveillance on the target area.

MR CORNELIUS: What did you find?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: At that point in time, we only found the empty church hall, no movement whatsoever, or any people or any people inside, I think the time must have been around about after midnight the evening.

MR CORNELIUS: Was this surveillance done to also determine if there were people living on the property?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.  The main aim was just to destroy the building and not to harm anyone.

MR CORNELIUS: Can you recall the construction of the building, what type of building was it?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Mr Chairperson, if I can recall correctly, I don't know if the exterior was from bricks, I can't recall that.

MR CORNELIUS: I see one of the applicants say it was a zinc constructed building.

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: It could be possible, I can't recall that.

MR CORNELIUS: When you arrived at the Church, can you elaborate what you did there?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Yes, Mr Chairperson.  I parked my vehicle about two blocks away from the specific target and sent two of my askaris in.  The one I recall was Chris Mosiane and as I believed afterwards, they entered through a window and found furniture inside, tables and chairs, which they stack-piled and then threw the Russian Cocktails onto that which ignited and started burning.

MR CORNELIUS: Were there any other residential homes close to this building?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Yes, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: But they weren't in danger of being ...

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Not at all, no, it was quite some distance.

MR CORNELIUS: In paragraph 2 on page 26, I see you say they entered the wall, but that's a typing error, it should be they entered hall through a window.

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: The hall, that's correct.  That's correct.

MR CORNELIUS: After the arson attack, was the Church in fact raised?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Yes, it was, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: And the last paragraph on page 26, I see there's a little gremlin that crept in there, it's raised with a z, which means it was obviously totally destroyed.

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: Did you stay there to see this total destruction of the church?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: No, Mr Chairperson, as soon as my people came back, we evacuated the area and left.

MR CORNELIUS: Who did you report to then?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: We then reported the success of the mission to Lieut Chris Rorich.

MR CORNELIUS: And that report, was that reflected to High Commanding Officers as well, according to your knowledge?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Yes, I recall that this was reported back by Lieut Rorich to Major Eugene de Kock, that everything went successfully.

MR CORNELIUS: I notice on page 27 you say in your application
"This operation carried the tacit approval"
but you got instructions directly from de Kock?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: On this incident, no I got no instruction, I was sent to Witbank area on the instructions of Maj de Kock, but the Church incident of demolishing the building was from Lieut Chris Rorich who I presume got authorisation from Major de Kock.

MR CORNELIUS: Oh, I understand.  But there was no disciplinary action ever taken against you for raising this Church?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Nothing whatsoever, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: You, at all times, carried out the instructions of Eugene de Kock within the course and scope of your duties?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct.

MR CORNELIUS: Did you believe you were acting in the interests of the country from a political view?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: I did, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: Bar your salary in terms of Section 20(3)(f) of the Act, did you receive any bonus or type of financial incentive for this deed?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Nothing whatsoever, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: Did you have any personal hate against the Church, or the specific building, or the people?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Nothing whatsoever, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: According to your knowledge you've made a full disclosure of all facts you know of?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: And you request this Committee to consider granting you amnesty for arson and for malicious damage to property.

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: Is there anything you wish to add?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Nothing Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: Thank you Mr Chair.

MR MALAN: Mr Flores, on page 26, as I read it, just to get it clear, you were deployed in a normal Vlakplaas deployment to the Eastern Transvaal at Witbank.  This is the three weeks working with the Security Branch Witbank?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.

MR MALAN: And then Rorich wanted the Church if not destroyed, at least made unusable?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.

MR MALAN: Now you say he approached you and he asked you to do this because a political rally was to be held the following day.

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct Mr Chairperson.

MR MALAN: Now when did you do the surveillance?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That evening, Mr Chairperson.

MR MALAN: And when did you make the bombs?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: The afternoon, Mr Chairperson.

MR MALAN: So everything happened on the same day?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: On the same day.

MR MALAN: I just wanted to get clarity because on the fourth paragraph you say there "one afternoon", but it's that same afternoon?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Same afternoon, yes.

MR MALAN: Alright.  Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Cornelius, what is the position with the second incident that you referred to?

MR CORNELIUS: Thank you, Mr Chair.

ADV SANDI: Just before that, Mr Cornelius, just one question. This Witbank Church incident, are you able to tell us the date?  When did it happen?

MS COLERIDGE: I can assist you there.  It's the 21st of May 1988.

MR CORNELIUS: I'm indebted to the Evidence Leader, thank you.  Now Mr Flores, there was also a second application, the attempted assassination in Swaziland on Folio 23, is that correct?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: I'm not going to elaborate.  You've testified and everything as far as your operation.  You were still stationed at Vlakplaas at that time?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct.

MR CORNELIUS: Under the command of Eugene de Kock?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: Was there also a request made from the Security Division to Vlakplaas for this operation?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: That's correct, Mr Chairperson.  From the Middelburg/Nelspruit branch.

MR CORNELIUS: From whom did this request come?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: At that stage Mr Chairperson, W/O Dan Greyling.

MR CORNELIUS: And he was affiliated to the Security Branch in?

LEON WILLIAM JOHN FLORES: Nelspruit, Mr Chairperson.

MR CORNELIUS: I see.  What were your instructions there?