self-protection units (SPUs)

... getting together having a braaivleis and swopping bush stories. What it is, is SWAPO, ANC, APLA, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Koevoet, Recces, all the units, every single unit, everybody whoever was trained in any way militarily getting together and just making some kind of sense of the mess that we ...

... is a drop in the ocean. You’ve got 200 people up against, and I think that is something which emerged from the Lombo hearings, you’ve got MK units operating in this province, armed with sophisticated weapons, who’ve received comprehensive military training. If the KwaZulu government ...

This is a matter of concern to the entire leadership of the ANC. Our people are being killed and violence is escalating. There’s been a loud outcry from our people for arms and for the setting up of self defence units. The National Executive Committee is looking into this issue.

nobody told nobody. In other words the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing. There was 24 hours surveillance on him by surveillance units of BOSS in Durban. // 24 hour? // Yes. // For years? // For years. // And BOSS’ surveillance unit itself was doing surveillance and sometimes ...

... subpoenaed Mangosuthu Buthelezi or any of his Lieutenants to explain their role. One of the most notable successes of the TRC’s Investigation Units has been the exhumation unit which has helped many families dig quite literally for the dark secrets of the past. Over the last two years of ...

During 1991 Vlakplaas investigated gun running from Mozambique to ANC and PAC units in the country. A plan to ambush and arrest four gun smugglers turned into a shooting spree. The four men were killed in cold blood, but the official story was that they were killed in self defence.

In response to this continuing violence self defence units were set up with the aim of protecting township residents. The SDUs, as they came to be known, were trained by Umkhonto we Sizwe soldiers. One such SDU in the Moleleki section of Kathlehong had already been operating since 1992. The unit ...

‘Armed and Dangerous: Self Defence Units, Report by Anneliese Burgess’ // By late 1990, the ANC was increasingly alarmed at the inability to protect their people from the wave of violence that was engulfing many townships.

During the 1980s three security force units attacked and assassinated anti-apartheid activists in neighbouring states. The security police, the Defence Force Civil Cooperation Bureau, CCB, and Military Intelligence. The CCB’s Zimbabwean cell was one of the most active and carried out operations ...

But the National Party when questioned about the widespread killing and torture of opponents and the use of covert units like that at Vlakplaas and the Civil Cooperation Bureau, was not able to explain who took the decisions and who should take final responsibility.

... for amnesty. There’s no question of it, they are coming. But we are proactive in the regions themselves, the regional heads of investigation units in the regions have been instructed to compile a consolidated list and that list is going to be consolidated at the national office for ...

... with the riot unit at that particular time. We were not able to identify who at that particular time was the commander of those particular two units. But the guy who was known to be shooting, it was a soldier from Queenstown called McOwen, he was coming from Queenstown. And another one was ...

... violence: Bantu Education. And we bring you a special appeal from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to soldiers, policemen, guerrillas and self defence units to apply for amnesty in the next six days. Let’s visit the KwaZulu-Natal midlands first. It’s the story of a policeman who will have the ...

... government’s violent strategy of torture and murder against pro-democracy activists. This impression is mistaken. There were other police units who were far more prolific killers. Three of the five security policemen appearing before the Truth Commission’s Amnesty Committee at the ...

APLA units across the country were told that we haven’t got enough money, we haven’t got enough guns, we haven’t got enough ammunition and the Boers have lots of money, lots of ammunition, lots of guns and they must go and repossess them, not steal them.

... What appears from investigations thus far is that there were farms which were used as headquarters by the security police or by Vlakplaas-type units. We had Vlakplaas; we had Andy Taylor’s Camp Adon, a farm he used as headquarters. We had a similar sort of headquarters in East London, ...

... getting together having a braaivleis and swopping bush stories. What it is, is SWAPO, ANC, APLA, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Koevoet, Recces, all the units, every single unit, everybody whoever was trained in any way militarily getting together and just making some kind of sense of the mess that we ...

Africa. Fifty Ciskei policemen were formed up in three lines behind the blade wire. They were equipped with riot control gear. Directly behind them, units of the Ciskei Defence Force were on full alert. They were the last line of defence protecting Bisho. Brigadier Oelschig of the SADF was then in ...

... possibility of civil proceedings for damages against you by those who were victims of your operations. I appeal to you who were in the self defence units in the townships, in the hostels. I appeal to you who were in the CCB, Military Intelligence. This amnesty is one that would expunge any ...