Amnesty Hearings — Pretoria — UNKNOWN

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Certainly Mr Chairman.  It is actually more in the form of an affidavit or a statement and it reads as follows
"The objects of the attack
1.	 To strike a blow for Almighty God and Christianity against the anti-Christ communism in the form of the leader of the SA Communist Party.
		2. 	To destroy the military leader of Umkhonto weSizwe who by his own acknowledgement was responsible for the cold-blooded murders of elderly Whites, women and children and attacks on them and on our Security Force personnel.
		3.	To focus attention on the fact that the future of my people was being betrayed through concocted forums such as the MPF, an abbreviation for the Multi-Party Forum and that we were aware of these plans and that we would oppose them with everything in our power.
		4.	To focus attention on the fact that my people are entitled to a territory of their own in Southern Africa wherever it may be, but that this is indisputable.
		5.	In the hope that the attack would activate Afrikaner leaders into united action to save their fatherland and their people."  
I did not sign it because I did not want to provide a problem for the journalist concerned, but I closed the statement with the following:
"For God, my people and my country."

MR PRINSLOO: Mr Derby-Lewis, at the top of this document it says the Citizen and then Miss Chris Steyn.

MR DERBY-LEWIS: That is correct Mr Chairman.

MR PRINSLOO: This document, E11 to which you have referred, you wrote this document during your detention, what did you do with it then?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: In one way or another I smuggled it out.  I was in Section 29 detention and I did not have any access to other people.  I do not remember how I got it out, but I smuggled it out Mr Chairman.

MR PRINSLOO: Mr Derby-Lewis, this letter or this statement as you called it, E11, was it ever published or not?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: No Mr Chairman, in the process it was lost somehow.

MR PRINSLOO: After your release, did you manage to trace the letter?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Yes, Mr Chairman, it was handed to me by my wife long after the sentence and the detention, she visited me.  She then brought this envelope and she asked me what it was.  I then became aware of the fact that it had not reached the journalist to whom I have sent it.

MR PRINSLOO: Honourable Chairman, may I ask your indulgence so that we can  ...

CHAIRPERSON: I didn't hear what you said.

MR PRINSLOO: Honourable Chairman,  I would ask you indulgence for a short adjournment.  I am about to close the evidence of the applicant.  I would just like to make very sure that we have not left out certain aspects.  It is a rather long version and all the documents that we did not have to read into the record and so forth.
	If you could grant me that indulgence I would appreciate it Mr Chairman.

CHAIRPERSON: We will stop these proceedings for a very short while.

MR PRINSLOO: As the Committee pleases.
COMMITTEE ADJOURNS
ON RESUMPTION

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Prinsloo, are we ready to proceed?

MR PRINSLOO: Honourable Chairman and Committee members, I thank you for your patience with the adjournment.  I would like to refer to no.12, I'd like to hand it up, that is then Exhibit 12 that I would like to hand up, and Mr Derby-Lewis testified to that as you can remember.   We had photocopies made during the adjournment, and with your leave I would hand it up to the Honourable Committee members.  This is the list in Mr Derby-Lewis' handwriting that he testified to that as you can remember.

JUDGE WILSON: E12?

MR PRINSLOO: That is correct Mr Chairman, it is E12.

CHAIRPERSON: Yes, please proceed.

MR PRINSLOO: Mr Chairman, I would like to continue.  Mr Derby-Lewis, besides the differences in the statements, are you speaking the truth here today?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Yes, Mr Chairman.

MR PRINSLOO: Have you made full disclosure?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Yes, Mr Chairman.

MR PRINSLOO: How do you feel today with regard to reconciliation in the country, specifically reconciliation?  Mr Derby-Lewis, how do you feel about the law with regard to disclosure, the relevant Act and what the Committee is doing here today?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Mr Chairman, since October 1993 I am a sentenced incarcerated person in a maximum prison.
During that period I have achieved reconciliation with myself and also with other political prisoners and I have reconciled myself with their political involvement and in this case, Mr Chairman, I refer to members of the ANC, members of the PAC, of the IFP and all the other political prisoners who are at present in maximum security prisons.
	We achieved such a good relationship Sir, that eventually we started a political prisoner forum in the prison to look after the political interests of all persons involved.
	I also Mr Chairman, during my sojourn at maximum prison became the first Chairman of the newly established recreation club of the committee of the newly established recreation club and I can assure you Mr Chairman, that I was unanimously elected to that position in a prison where, I am sure everyone knows the vast majority of prisoners, are prisoners of other racial groups.
	I think Mr Chairman, that I will always be grateful for what the TRC has provided for me, an opportunity to purge myself of something out of which I gained no pleasure doing and I think that my record at maximum prison actually confirms to what extent I found myself and also my relationship with others.

MR PRINSLOO: Carry on Mr Derby-Lewis.

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Thank you Mr Chairman.  I would like to say in conclusion that my involvement in all that I have done had nothing to do with the support for, nor was it aimed at ensuring the continuance of apartheid.  Whatever I had done Mr Chairman, over the past more than 25 years, has been aimed at the preservation of the freedom I and my people so treasure and for which so much has been sacrificed in the past.
	If what I have done is wrong, then let it judged in conjunction with far worse atrocities committed in the name of various struggles against totally innocent and guiltless civilians of all races.
	Let it be judged Mr Chairman against the bomb set against innocent victims of all races on all sides.  Let it be judged against the slaughter of innocent civilian victims of landmines set on farm roads, never used by the military.
	Let it be judged against the hundreds of victims of assassination by burning tyres so nicely referred to as "necklaces".  
	Let it be judged against the horrendous slaughters of Black town councillors whose only crime was that they tried to use the system for the benefit of their people.
	Let us rather accept that these people were all victims of war Mr Chairman, a war in which there was no victory, only victims.  A war in which all of us were victims in some way or another, every single one of us Mr Chairman.   There can be no fingers pointed, only deep sympathy for those bereaved of loved ones and hopefully forgiveness all round.
	The war is over and it is time we turned to peaceful methods for the resolution of our problems and differences.  Let us learn from the lessons of the past, rather than to cause that those who have died, did so in vain.  Thank you Mr Chairman.

MR PRINSLOO: Mr Derby-Lewis, the political struggle of the Afrikaner, Conservative Party, the broad Rightwing forum of which you are part, you described that in detail is that correct?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Yes, I had.

MR PRINSLOO: Now this deed, according to your testimony if I understand it correctly, you committed this deed from a political point of view?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: That is correct Mr Chairman.

MR PRINSLOO: Now at the time of the commitment of this act, were you a member of the Conservative Party?

MR DERBY-LEWIS: Yes Sir, I was as well as of the Afrikaner Front, as such.