11 October 2002
No new evidence has emerged which would justify re-opening of the enquiry into the crash of SA 295 (The Helderberg) on 28 November 1987. Therefore, no further commission of enquiry will be appointed or convened for the simple reason that there is no new evidence, which can be placed before such an enquiry,
There have been many allegations such as:
As a result of all these allegations, the Minister of Transport requested the National Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Executive Officer of The Civil Aviation Authority to conduct a thorough independent investigation into all the allegations
The National Director of Public Prosecutions was also requested to interview available potential witnesses.
Adv. J. Welch of the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions and Mr, Trevor Abrahams- Chief Executive Officer of the SA Civil Aviation Authority traveled to the United States to ascertain whether the cockpit voice recorder when enhanced threw any new light on the disaster.
The Minister of Transport hereby makes public the report of the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions; Adv. J. Welch dated 8 October 2001. In the report Adv, Welch mentions all the persons who were interviewed.
He also reports on the cockpit voice recorder, the transcript made of it and the enhanced version of the tape made by the F.B.I. He also comments on the ZUR tape, which went missing,
On receipt of report from Adv. Welch of 8 October 2001, the Minister of Transport requested Adv. Welch to locate the persons who had still not been interviewed and to interview them. Their names are mentioned in the report. The Minister has received a further report from Adv. Welch, dated 20 September 2002 indicating that he had interviewed most of the persons (those who were available). He comes to the conclusion that no new evidence has emerged which could be placed before a tribunal or commission for consideration.
In the light of all the information currently available, the Minister of Transport comes to the conclusion that to set up another commission of enquiry will be entirely futile in that there is no evidence available, which can be placed before such an enquiry, which will throw a different light on the Helderberg disaster.
The legal representatives of relatives of the victims have on a number of occasions approached the Minister. They were invited to submit to the Minister statements from persons who according to their knowledge can throw new light on the disaster. No such statements have been forthcoming.
The reports of Adv. Welch dated 21 May 2001, 8 October 2001 and 20 September 2002 was all placed before Cabinet. Cabinet has endorsed the view of the Minster of Transport that there exists no basis for re-opening the enquiry.
The Minister of Transport will continue to monitor the situation. He fully appreciates the trauma of relatives of victims and once again conveys condolences to them.
The Minister knows that families want closure but above all they want to know the truth. Whilst therefore, the matter is closed for the present from the point of view of Government, the Minister will continue to monitor the situation and should any new evidence become available he will asses it.
The Minister appeals to those who claim that there is new evidence to place before an enquiry to submit statements to the Minister, who will consider there on their merit. He cannot however reconvene a commission of enquiry purely on the basis of allegations and suspicions.
The reports submitted by the National Director of Public Prosecutions office are being made public, and they can be accessed on the Department's web site, www.transport.gov.za.