26 May 2000
Two unrelated part-heard amnesty hearings are to be held in Pretoria next week, the first one starting on Monday, being the abduction by former Soweto Security branch members of Nokuthula Simelane from Swaziland, who disappeared while on a mission in Johannesburg in 1983 and the killing of six ANC members in Lesotho on December 19, 1985.
The Lesotho raid hearings will only resume on Thursday June 1 and finish on June 16 in Pretoria. Both these matters will be held at the Idasa Centre, corner Prinsloo and Visagie Streets.
In the Lesotho one, former minister of Foreign Affairs Pik Botha, former Police Commissioner Johan Van Der Merwe, Brigadier Willem Schoon and Willem Coetzee have already testified. Still to testify is Vlakplaas Commander Eugene de Kock, Willie Nortje, Izack Bosch and Nicholaas Snor Vermeulen the implicated persons who have been subpoenaed.
The hearing was postponed in February to give sufficient time to implicated persons who had been subpoenaed to study the record of the last sitting.
Thirteen persons were implicated by 8 amnesty applicants in their applications for their roles in the planning and execution of the raid.
Those implicated included Joe Coetser, Anton Adamson, Dr Neil Barnard, Minister Louis Le Grange (now deceased) , Basie Smit, Askaris Letsatsi, Thabiso and Gregory Radebe, Captain Fouche (SB Ladybrand) former President P.W Botha and Elvis Vincent McCaskill (an informer).
At our last sitting in February, there was contention as to whether former State President PW Botha should be subpoenaed in his capacity as chairman of the now defunct State Security Council (SSC).
Presiding Judge, Ronnie Pillay has ruled against such a move. The attack on the ANC members in Lesotho in 1985 took place against the background of soured relations between Pretoria and the Maseru governments with the latter accusing the former of harbouring "terrorists". The exchange of diplomatic notes between Pik Botha and his counterpart in Lesotho has already been dealt with in the last sitting.
With the help of Elvis Vincent McCaskill an informer, the Vlakplaas men managed to get information of ANC "safe houses" in and around Maseru, in June 1985, six months before the raid in December.
Prior to the attack, concerns were expressed in various meetings of the State Security Council whose chairman was PW Botha. The operation was also discussed in meetings of Co-ordinated Intelligence Committee under Niel Banard, together with other representatives from various government departments as well as the SADF..
On the night of December 19, McCaskill managed to organise a party which had been funded by De Kock and his men. The plan was to get all the activists together and kill them.
In the subsequent attack, Leon Meyer and his wife Jackie Quinn were murdered at their house. Nomkhosi Mini, Vivian Mathee, Joseph Mayoli and Lulamile Dantile were shot and killed at the party. Three other Lesotho nationals, Makaelane Mohatle, Boemo Tau and Amelia Lesenyeho were also killed in the raid.
In the matter of Nokuthula Simelane, the applicants, Willem Coetzee, Anton Pretorius, Norman Mkhonza, Peter Lengene (now deceased) Frederick Mong, Nimrod Veyi Sgt Sefuthi and Radebe, have already testified except for Radebe who could not be located then. Former Umkhonto We Sizwe in Swaziland in the early 1980's, Albert Thwala was giving testimony when the matter adjourned.
Proceedings will start at 10.00am
For more information, call Mbulelo Sompetha at 082 452 7870.
Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission