amntrans AMNESTY HEARINGS 1999-10-28 CAPE TOWN 6 VANESSA RHODA NOVEMBER AM7988/97 BOMB BLAST AT BONTHEUWEL RENT OFFICE https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/hearing.php?id=53829&t=&tab=hearings https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/originals/amntrans/1999/99101828_ct_991028.htm ON RESUMPTION CHAIRPERSON Yes, Mr Papier. MR PAPIER Thank you Judge, Commissioners. I call Vanessa November. Her application appears on page 14 of the bundle. CHAIRPERSON Is it Mrs or Miss? MS NOVEMBER Miss. VANESSA RHODA NOVEMBER (sworn states) MR PAPIER Thank you Judge. EXAMINATION BY MR PAPIER MS NOVEMBER That's correct. MR PAPIER I understand that you were a member of the Bontheuwel unit of the Ashley Kriel Detachment and were recruited by Colleen Williams in 1987, is that correct? MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER Now you've heard the evidence of Sidney Hendricks who testified before you and he indicated that the unit consisted of himself, Sidney Hendricks, the late Colleen Williams and yourself, is that correct? MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER Now, is it correct that you participated in the operation at the Bontheuwel Rent Office on the 28th of September 1988, as described by Sidney? MS NOVEMBER Yes, it's correct. MR PAPIER Can you tell the Commission what exactly you did on that night? MS NOVEMBER On that night my main task was to help with security surveillance and also to accompany my comrades prior to the operation that night. MR PAPIER Yes. CHAIRPERSON Ms November, sorry to, I'd forgotten to ask you, are you comfortable with English? MS NOVEMBER Yes it's fine. CHAIRPERSON If you want to talk Afrikaans or any other language please tell us. MS NOVEMBER No, it's fine. MR PAPIER Thank you Judge. Now you say you were responsible for security and reconnaissance. MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER It is also so that your affidavit makes mention of the year 1998 instead of 1988 and I understand that's a typing error, is that correct? MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER Now you were a trained member of the Bontheuwel Unit of the Ashley Kriel Detachment, is that correct? MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER Who trained you? MS NOVEMBER I was trained by the late Colleen Williams and Sidney Hendricks. MR PAPIER Yes. Now what time approximately was the limpet mine placed at the Bontheuwel Rent Office on that night of the 28th? MS NOVEMBER It was placed shortly after 8 p.m. that night. MR PAPIER Yes and can you describe the area where the limpet mine was placed? MS NOVEMBER The area was quite dark. It had poor lighting in that area and it was placed in front of the door and mostly we, what we'd also noticed in that area, normally the litter gathers around the doorway and the milk carton was also part of the litter, like it was dirty and people were - yes, so I don't think anybody would have just picked it up. MR PAPIER Yes. So if I understand you correctly, there was litter lying there and the carton was also part of the litter. We understand from Sidney's evidence that the limpet mine was placed in this carton and then placed at the door. Was this amongst the rest of the litter as well? MS NOVEMBER Yes, partly with the litter. MR PAPIER In your opinion, was there any prospect of any person coming to scratch in that litter after 8, after it was planted there? MS NOVEMBER Definitely not, because of the poor lighting in the area and also the danger in that, at that time, we still had problems with gangsters in the area. It was like a no-go danger area for people from the area to go because we grew up there and we used to be in that area quite a lot. MR PAPIER Yes. And so you lived in the area at the time as well. MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER And you were familiar with the area as well? MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER You were also part of the reconnaissance preceding the planting of the limpet mine, is that correct? MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER And this was also in accordance with your observations that people would not frequent this place after 8? MS NOVEMBER Yes, that's correct. MR PAPIER Now in what capacity were you acting on the night of the 28th of September? MS NOVEMBER In my capacity as an MK member of the MK and under the command of Sidney Hendricks and we received our instruction from the Detachment, under the command of Aneez Salie. MR PAPIER Yes. I understand that you too established after the incident that Mr Bartlett was injured. MS NOVEMBER Yes. MR PAPIER Mr Hendricks testified that you had been to visit the family in 1997. Were you also part of that group? MS NOVEMBER Yes and we also mostly went there to inform the family that we were part of the operation that night and also to answer any questions they want to know or to ease their minds of what happened, or what caused the incident to happen to their son and their brother and also to request their forgiveness. MR PAPIER Yes. Thank you Judge, I have no further questions. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR PAPIER MS PATEL Thank you Honourable Chairperson, I have no questions. NO QUESTIONS BY MS PATEL ADV SIGODI Your training as an MK person, were you also trained in the use of the hand grenade, the use of these limpet mines? MS NOVEMBER Yes at that stage, yes. ADV SIGODI When did this training start? MS NOVEMBER In 87. ADV SIGODI And how long had you been trained, over what period? How intensive was this training? MS NOVEMBER We were trained over weekends and mostly over weekends two days and then also if we needed to do it ourselves, we had the kit in the area, which Sidney Hendricks mentioned, we could go and experiment and learn to know more about the explosive, because we had it available. ADV SIGODI Were you in matric at this time? Were you a scholar? MS NOVEMBER Yes. CHAIRPERSON Which standard? ADV SIGODI What standard were you in? MS NOVEMBER In standard 8, I think, either standard 8 or 9. ADV SIGODI Thanks. CHAIRPERSON Why did you embark on this mission? MS NOVEMBER Due to comrades in the area that were detained and also due to the oppression in the area that came from the NP members, well from the Rent Office and that was one of the places that we saw as a target at that time around and also to spark off the rent boycott because all the other areas also were working on rent boycott, so we wanted to make that clear. CHAIRPERSON Yes, thank you. MR PAPIER Thank you Judge, I have no further questions. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR PAPIER CHAIRPERSON You're excused WITNESS EXCUSED MR PAPIER Thank you Judge. I now call Aneez Salie.