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Online verzekerenZodra u zelf online uw verzekering afsluit, is er geen sprake van advies, maar van bemiddeling op basis van 'execution only'. SA Military Intelligence > Interviews > An interview with Inspector Joppie van Staden regarding the nature of the interviewee's work in the bomb disposal unit.
Length of interview: 4 minutes 15 seconds
Audio file name/s of interview: AL3283_PTA_VANSTADENJOPPIE_20091208_3
De Wet	Ek sit hier en gesels met inspekteur Joppie van Staden, afgetrede inspekteur in die polisie wat tot en met 2000 was hy ŉ inspekteur by bomopruimingseenheid van die polisie gewees. Joppie, kan jy vir ons vertel die omstandighede, die aard van julle werk en jy sê daar was baie bomdreigemente gewees en so aan. Verduidelik net vir ons van die grusaamste en die belangrikste bomme wat julle moes ontlont het.
Joppie	Ja, die belangrikste was toe ek net begin het in einde 1990 was die Hallmarkbom gewees, maar ek sal nou vir jou sê dit was nie ŉ geplante bom gewees nie. Dit was propaganda gewees.
De Wet	So wat jy vir ons sê is dit was nie die ANC wat daai bom geplant het nie.
De Wet	Wie was dit gewees?
Joppie	Die polisie self.
De Wet	So dit was ŉ publisiteitstruuk gewees.
Joppie	Ja. Heeltemal en dit was nogal 137kg. En no names no pack drill, maar dis nogal snaaks die mense wat hom gemaak het het himself gaan ontlont. Dan is dit mos baie maklik.
De Wet	Verduidelik vir ons waar was die bom geplant en die omstandighede en as hy sou afgaan, ek onthou nog destyds was daar berigte gewees, in daardie gebou. As hy daar sou afgegaan het in die middestad van Pretoria sou dit ontsettende skade aangerig het.
Joppie	In vergelyking met die Kerkrstraatbom was maar 28 tot 37kg. En dit was buite in die straat gewees dit was nog oop. Daai een was binne-in die gebou. Hallmark is naby die howe, die advokatekantore en alles is daar naby. Heel moontlik sou daardie hele blok van Paul Krugerstraat af en die Plein ongelooflik beskadig gewees het. Dit was alles Russiese oorsprong springstof wat gebruik was. Daardie hele blok sou verwoes gewees het.
De Wet	Watter jaar praat ons nou van.
De Wet	Ek verstaan dit was in ŉ minibus-taxi en dit was in die parkeerterrein onder in daardie gebou en daardie gebou is so ongeveer vyftien verdiepings hoog.
Joppie	Hallmarkgebou was in die parkeerterrein op die eerste vloer. Dit was ŉ taxi gewees, ja. Net gou dink wat was daardie springstof wat hulle gebruik het. Dit maak nie saak nie dit was alles van Russiese oorsprong en die mense wat hom gaan ontlont het, onskadelik gestel het, was die mense wat hom gebou het. Baie van hulle het ook medaljes gekry daarvoor.
De Wet	Maar dit was nooit bekend geraak nie.
Joppie	Sal mos nie want propaganda is propaganda.
De Wet	Praat ons van George Hammond en sy manne.
Joppie	Mmmm. Ja. En die manier wat hy gesê het hoe hy hom ontlont het wat vir my baie funny was met die kursus het hy gesê jy doen dit nie. Vat al die drade alles saam en knip dit een slag af nie. Met die kanse van ŉ kortsluiting want jy weet nie waar kom die krag vandaan nie, dan nou hoekom gaan jy dit dan doen. Dit was al uitweg want die tyd was min. al wat jy doen is jy haal die tydskakelaar af en dit is so maklik soos dit. Jy vat die kragbron weg so dis voor die hand liggend.
Audio file name/s of interview: AL3283_PTA_VANSTADENJOPPIE_20091205_3
De Wet	I am talking to Inspector Joppie van Staden, retired inspector in the police who were until 2000 attached to the bomb disposal unit of the police. Jopie, tell us the circumstances, the nature of your work and you say there were lots of bomb threats. Describe some of the most gruesome and difficult boms you had to defuse.
Joppie	Yes, the most important was soon after I started with the unit at the end of 1990, the Hallmark bomb, but I will tell you now that it was not really planted. It was state propoganda.
De Wet	So what you are telling me is that it was not an ANC bomb?
De Wet	Who was it?
Joppie	The police themselves.
De Wet	So it was in fact a publicity stunt?
Joppie	Yes, totally, and in fact it was a 136kg bomb. No names and no pack drill, but the funny thing is that the people who build the bomb went to difuse it again. Then it is easy peezy.
De Wet	Explain where the bomb was planted and the circumstances and the impact if it exploded. I still clearly remember at the time there were newspaper reports about that building. If it had gone off in the centre of town the damage would have been immensely.
Joppie	In comparison with the Church Street bomb, it was between 28 and 37kg. And it exploded outside in the open in the street. That one was inside a building. Hallmark is close to the courts, the advocate chambers and verything was in close proximity.
Most probably that whole block from Paul Kruger Street down to Church Square would have been severely damaged. It was all Russian explosives. That whole block would have been destroyed.
De Wet	What year are we talking about?
De Wet	I understood it was inside a mini bus taxi and it was parked in the parking area of that building and that building is about fifteen storey high.
Joppie	Hallmark building and it was in the parking area on the first floor. It was a taxi and it was Russian explosives. The people who assembled that bomb went and difuse it. Some of them even received medals afterwards.
De Wet	But it was never made known?
Joppie	Would never tell because propaganda is propaganda.
De Wet	Are we talking about George Hammond and his people?
Joppie	Mmmm. Yes. And the way he explained how he defused it was very strange to me because on course he told us in particular not to do it that way. You do not grab all the wires at the same time and simply cut them off.
With the danger of a short circuit because you never know where the powers comes from, why then do it like that? It was the only way out because time was of the essence. All you do is to separate the time switch from the bomb. As simple as that. You take away the power supply… it is clear as daylight.
Translation: Download (44 KB)
Description: This interview with Inspector Joppie van Staden, a former police inspector attached to the bomb disposal unit, regarding the nature of his work in the bomb disposal unit, consists of an audio recording, transcript and English translation. This interview was conducted, transcribed and translated by De Wet Potgieter on behalf of SAHA in 2009.