self-protection units (SPUs)

"Many of the established MK units had been allowed a degree of initiative in executing their operations as long as they remained within the policy guidelines."

... you are going to give us an insight into what was happening to young people in the area and what happened to them as they joined the Self Defence Units in the East Rand, thank you very ...

Mr Xundu, I notice that at paragraph 8, immediately before the one you are on at the moment, you say that units were only formed for specific operations. Was a specific unit set up for this operation? Would you like to tell us about that?

"At all relevant times to date, since January 1 1974, I was a member of the Permanent Force and an officer involved with various units of the SANDF."

Several weeks later that same month I was fetched from my house by some white detective from Murder and Robbery Units and taken to Bishop Lavis police station. At Bishop Lavis police station I was shown several photographs of persons who had been brutally shot. I informed the officers that I ...

MR SALOOJEE: As I've indicated, I was the Head of Regional Ordinance, with the responsibility for infiltrating weapons into the country. Obviously in that position I had a number of operatives and units working under my command.

MS CAMBANIS: You've already told the Committee that you were at the time a member of Umkhonto weSizwe and a member of the Self-Defence Units.

MR RICHARD: Now, what do you know about Self Defence Units, what are they?

MR HATTINGH: Mr Van Zyl, I did not cross-examine you about transactions that you had with other units of the South African Police and you realised this, but my cross-examination of you was about the payment that you had for information that you had given to Vlakplaas.

MR WANGA: No we don't know how he used the money but as I've already said we knew that there were other units in other places that needed support, that needed food, so we were not aware or we didn't know whether he did or not but we knew there were people who were needing support.

(Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tansania, UK, Zambia and Zimbabwe Representatives of the NAT Regional Directorate of the Internal Units or Operatives Commanders of MK training camps, Samafco, and detention/rehabilitation centers (Quadro) ...

"As I was regularly meeting with my instructor, the Chief-of-Staff of the Self Defence Units in the Northern Free State, a well trained cadre of MK who had his military training from abroad and recruited me to be involved in the mission of the SDUs."

... and work at Ulundi. He put conditions that he can only come to work at Ulundi if he could be put in charge of any particular unit there. All the units which were existing at Ulundi had their own commanders. Therefore there wasn't any unit in which he could be assign. Therefore they have to ...

I then made radio contact with the Reaction Unit and I also contacted Murder and Robbery, or I contacted my Radio Control and told them to get Reaction Unit and Murder and Robbery, the fingerprint people, all the necessary units to come and investigate the matter.

MR MBAMBO: Again in 1994, March 1994, I joined one of the Units under Mr Jimmy Jones as a Commander, that went on, there were fights and we were undertaking operations. I don't want to lie to you, I never enquired about this armed struggle as I heard it through the radio media and why the people ...

MR SHAIK: No, I wouldn't say that it was part of the ANC policy, as per se. I would say that in that instance I perceived that the Self Defence Units given the situation that existed in townships at the time, were using those weapons to defend themselves against Inkatha led or Inkatha orientated ...

... these Street Committees were put on the alert and the matters were closely monitored. It is during this period that the residents of the aforesaid units bona fide believed that the "Killer Boys" were agents of the Security Forces. This belief was further reinforced by the fact that although the ...

MR BERGER: Why is there not a mention in your statement at 210(H) to (I), not a word about the self defence units, why is that?

To applicant's knowledge no person was injured or killed as a result of his activities. These units were established for future usage in overthrowing the then South African Government.

... three bombs would be the large explosions that occurred and in the Western Transvaal there would be more bombs. Beforehand we discussed that other units of the AWB would continue but that never occurred though Mr ...