January 20, 1997
I am concerned at press reports in which General Steyn is alleged to have denied certain facts included in the TRC'S press release on Thursday 16 January 1997. He has been most cooperative in assisting us to understand the nature of his report to former President de Klerk, and we are in direct touch with him to clarify the facts.
Given the seriousness of the matter it is necessary at this stage, however, to clarify the following matters:
1. The press statement of last Thursday entitled "Basis of media briefing on the meeting between Genl. Steyn and the TRC" was released after careful consultation with General Steyn and after certain amendments suggested by him were added to the statement. This was to ensure that no possible misunderstandings or incorrect information be communicated to the public. The statement was released to the media with his full knowledge and support. We stand by that statement.
2. We have examined General's Steyn's written statement issued on Friday and we see no fundamental conflicts between the two statements.
3. We re-iterate that the Commission received from General Steyn a written document, which includes a staff report of the matter under investigation and a matrix containing the names of a number of people under suspicion, which was handed to the former President.
4. The findings in this documentation are at the level of intelligence reports. As such they are not conclusive - a matter which was made absolutely clear at our press conference. It is for this reason that General Steyn urged the former President not to take specific action without further investigation.
5. It is the task of our investigative unit and research department to investigate thoroughly all information which we receive, for this to be corroborated and cross-checked. I wish to reiterate that the information contained in the file handed to us by General Steyn is an invaluable source of information, which we take into account in our ongoing decisions concerning future subpoenas.
6. We have in our possession, inter alia, a letter addressed by General Steyn to former President de Klerk, written subsequent to his initial report, in which General Steyn again draws to the former President's attention the substance of the information given to him earlier. This intensifies our concern that the former President appeared not to have taken sufficient steps either to investigate or counter allegations of third force activities within the SADF and SAP.
7. A new development in this saga confirms our reservations. It is now reported that Colonel Roelf Venter, who in an amnesty application to the TRC has claimed to have been involved in a range of state-initiated criminal activities, was later assigned together with Brigadier Suiker Brits, to investigate the allegations identified in General Steyn's report. If true, this emphasises our concern that the allegations of dirty tricks by SADF personnel may not have been adequately investigated.
In summation, we reiterate:
1. The existence of a written report, which was seen by former President de Klerk;
2. The fact that three generals whose names appeared in the report given by Genl. Steyn to the former President, were asked by President De Klerk to recommend the names of those against whom action should take place; and 3. The failure over a nine-month period to investigate adequately the charges against those mentioned in the report who were allegedly involved in third force activities in the SADF and SAP.