amntrans AMNESTY HEARINGS 1999-09-28 PRETORIA 2 JAKOBUS JOHANNES SNYMAN https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=53711&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/amntrans/1999/9909271005_pre_990928pt.htm MR VISSER I beg leave to call the next witness which will be Supt Jakobus Johannes Snyman. MR SIBANYONI Your full names Mr Snyman? MR SNYMAN Jakobus Johannes Snyman. JAKOBUS JOHANNES SNYMAN (sworn states) MR SIBANYONI Please be seated, sworn in Chairperson. EXAMINATION BY MR VISSER Mr Chairman, if I may refer your attention to the document that has been handed up under the name of this witness, and ask you to mark that Exhibit G, being a summary of his evidence which we will give before you, his application is in the Bundle, at pages 240 to 247 and the specific incident is dealt with at 241 to 243. Mr Chairman, for the same reasons as advanced previously, could I ask for an amendment also in his case, of paragraph 7(i) of the amnesty application to read "National Party" and paragraph 7(b) to read "supporter"? CHAIRPERSON His application will be amended in that regard. MR VISSER Thank you Mr Chairman. Mr Snyman, you have studied Exhibit A properly? MR SNYMAN That is correct. MR VISSER Are there any part in Exhibit A to which you don't have personal knowledge? MR SNYMAN Yes, with regard to the background in Lesotho and Botswana. MR VISSER Lesotho and Botswana you don't have any knowledge of, and the rest, do you confirm this from own evidence, from own knowledge and from what you have received from informers and sources with regard to the balance of Exhibit A and do you request that this be regarded as incorporated into your evidence? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER Mr Snyman, I do not want to take too much time with you, is it correct that in 1989 you were attached to Group D at Security Head Office and that your Commander was Brig Oosthuizen, actually we should start with Col Willem Coetzee who had given evidence first this morning and after that, it was Brig Oosthuizen who was above him and then the Chief of the Group, Gen Erasmus, is that correct? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER You refer to the testimony of Brig Schoon and Oosthuizen and Col Coetzee which was delivered here today before the Amnesty Committee, you have previously studied their statements and you say you agree with their viewpoints of the struggle of the past and the circumstances during the time period and the run up to the incident in the current matter? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER Paragraph 4, Mr Chairman, would you please read from there? MR SNYMAN My specific role under instructions from Col Coetzee, was to man a static point on the main road to Swaziland at Oshoek border post. My task was to monitor the suspected vehicle, I refer here to the Opel Kadett vehicle, if it should pass there. The vehicle however, at no stage passed that point. MR VISSER And that was your total role which you played in this incident? MR SNYMAN That is correct. MR VISSER Did you know beforehand that it was intended and that an instruction was given that as soon as the persons whom we are referring to here, entered Swaziland, there would be an operation to eliminate them? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER And did you according to information which you had, it was in the interest and the maintenance of the State dispensation and people's lives and government property and did you associate yourself with this conduct and you say that in paragraph 6? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER You yourself, did not have any part in the discussion and decisions which were taken in this regard and you were informed by Col Coetzee that the operation was authorised by Maj-Gen Erasmus and Brig Oosthuizen? MR SNYMAN That is correct. MR VISSER And we also know that Brig Schoon had indeed taken the decision, but you would not know about that? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER With regard to the prerequisites of Section 20 of the Act, paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of your application, is this information with which you agree and which you wish to use to establish your political motivation and political objective? MR SNYMAN That is correct. MR VISSER And do you then request amnesty for any offence or delict which was committed by you before, during or after the incident of the 12th to 13th of February 1989, close to Mbabane where Louis Mohale, Derek Mashobane and Portia Shabangu were murdered, is that correct? MR SNYMAN That is correct Chairperson. MR VISSER Thank you Chairperson. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR VISSER MR HATTINGH Hattingh on record, Mr Chairman, we have no questions, thank you. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR HATTINGH MR BOOYENS Booyens, no questions, Mr Chairman. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR BOOYENS MR CORNELIUS Cornelius Mr Chairman, no questions. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR CORNELIUS MR NEL Nel Mr Chairman, no questions. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR NEL MR ROSSOUW Rossouw Mr Chairman, no questions. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR ROSSOUW MR BOTHA Botha Mr Chairman, no questions. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR BOTHA MR VAN HEERDEN Van Heerden Mr Chairman, no questions. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR VAN HEERDEN ADV STEENKAMP No questions, thank you Mr Chairman. NO CROSS-EXAMINATION BY ADV STEENKAMP MR SIBANYONI I've got no questions Mr Chairman. MR VISSER May the witness be excused under the same conditions as the previous witnesses, Mr Chairman? Thank you Mr Chairman. WITNESS EXCUSED