MR VISSER: Chairperson, may I call Gen Ignatius Coetzee?
CHAIRPERSON: Yes. Exhibit F?
MR VISSER: Exhibit F Chairperson.
IGNATIUS COETZEE: (sworn states)
MR MALAN: Thank you.
EXAMINATION BY MR VISSER: Thank you Chairperson. Mr Coetzee, your are an applicant for amnesty in the conspiracy and the attempt to murder certain persons which you have mentioned in Exhibit F in Botswana, is that correct?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: Your application we find in Bundle 2 on page 127 to 139 where you deal with the incident from page 135 to 136, is that correct?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: Do you confirm the contents of your amnesty application, subject to the evidence you will deliver here today?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: In paragraph 7(a) and (b) of your application, you have said on questions with regard to whether you belonged to a political organisation and if so, if what capacity, you replied "not applicable", is that so that that is incorrect and that you were a supporter of the National Party?
MR COETZEE: That is so.
MR VISSER: May I again apply for that amendment, paragraph 7(a) and (b)?
CHAIRPERSON: The amendment is hereby granted.
MR VISSER: Thank you Chairperson. You have referred to Exhibit A, have you studied that document and studied it comprehensively?
MR COETZEE: Yes, I have.
MR VISSER: Do you concur and do you confirm the contents thereof and that you request that it be made applicable to you?
MR COETZEE: Yes, I do.
MR VISSER: And finally do you confirm the contents of Exhibit F which serves before the Committee which is in regard to your evidence, with regard to this incident?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: In 1986/1987 is it correct that you were the Divisional Commander of Soweto Security Branch?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: And the persons who as we have heard this morning, served under your command in the Intelligence Unit was Louis de Jager, Willem Coetzee ...
MR MALAN: Mr Visser, with great respect, you are leading the witness viva voce, he has already confirmed all of this. We certainly do not have to hear this again. You have confirmed, I cannot see anything here that digresses from the main application, you can just confirm as far as we are concerned.
MR VISSER: Do you confirm Exhibit F in its totality?
MR COETZEE: I do so Chairperson.
MR VISSER: Thank you Chairperson.
CHAIRPERSON: If you so wish to highlight certain matters, Mr Visser, you are leading him in-chief, you may proceed to do so, however if you feel that what you would have wanted to lead him on, is already contained in his affidavit that is before us ...
MR VISSER: Yes, Chairperson, the only little aspect that makes me a bit uncomfortable is the fact that he was the Divisional Commander of Soweto and he must have taken a decision fairly near the top in regard to this operation, and I would have thought that I would have, you would have been interested just to know how he saw his position at that time, vis-a-vis the taking of the decision or if at all it was applicable to him.
CHAIRPERSON: Yes.
MR VISSER: Because there was another Divisional Commander, Brig Loots in the Western Transvaal and some decisions had to be taken and orders given and I thought that perhaps I should just lead his evidence briefly on that issue.
CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. As I listen to you, you seem to think that that is highly relevant. You may proceed to lead his evidence in relation to that particular aspect of his evidence.
MR VISSER: Yes, thank you Chairperson. Gen Coetzee, we have now heard that according to the insets of the other persons who have testified now, it was actually a Special Force's operation?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: Was that also your impression?
MR COETZEE: That is correct.
MR VISSER: Instructions were given according to Col de Jager, by you to him which he conveyed to Olifant, Pretorius and Coetzee below him, to act in a supporting capacity to Special Forces. Did you convey those instructions as such?
MR COETZEE: Yes, I did.
MR VISSER: And chiefly, why did you decide to do this? Would you please tell us how it came about that you passed on those instructions?
MR COETZEE: This was primarily from, because of a request from the same unit that they be assisted by our Intelligence Unit.
MR VISSER: And Brig Loots was the Commissioner Commander of the Western Transvaal, was he in the same position as you?
MR COETZEE: That is correct Chairperson.
MR VISSER: Thank you Chairperson.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR VISSER
MR MALAN: Thank you Mr Visser.
CHAIRPERSON: Mr Lamey, do you want to put any questions to Gen Coetzee?
MR LAMEY: I've got no questions, thank you.
NO QUESTIONS BY MR LAMEY
CHAIRPERSON: Mr Steenkamp?
ADV STEENKAMP: No questions, thank you Madam Chair.
NO QUESTIONS BY ADV STEENKAMP
CHAIRPERSON: Mr Malan?
MR MALAN: No questions, thank you Chairperson.
CHAIRPERSON: Mr Motata?
ADV MOTATA: None, Chairperson.
CHAIRPERSON: You must be smiling Gen Coetzee? I take it Mr Visser, you don't need to re-examine, because there is nothing to re-examine him upon?
MR VISSER: No thank you Chairperson.
NO RE-EXAMINATION BY MR VISSER
CHAIRPERSON: Yes. Gen Coetzee, you are hereby excused as a witness.
WITNESS EXCUSED
