SABC News | Sport | TV | Radio | Education | TV Licenses | Contact Us
 

Motherwell car bomb

Explanation
Three police officers and an informer were killed when their car was blown up by fellow police officers in Motherwell, outside Port Elizabeth, during 1989, to prevent possible revelations of police involvement in the killing of the Cradock Four. The blast was initially thought to have been an MK operation, and it was alleged that the ANC had claimed responsibility for it. However, an investigation led to the trial and conviction of senior members of the SAP Security Branch.

MR DE KOCK: Well then in general I could mention the Motherwell bomb incident. Somewhere there the Detective Branch wanted to enter the investigation and there was some or other negotiation from the Security Police's side, I am not precisely sure what it was, but it was a similar situation.
MR BOOYENS: Mr Chairman, my learned friend is obviously not aware of the facts in the Motherwell application, neither is he obviously au fait with the facts in the Motherwell bomb case, the case itself.
Once again, it is my duty as an officer to take responsibility for the people below me. I've constantly maintained this vision with the Motherwell Bomb incident, I did it again in George, and I'm doing it once more today.
... in which you were otherwise involved, save in relation to a very limited thing. I don't want to jeopardise your application for amnesty in the Motherwell matter nor the appeal that is pending if your application is not successful. What I do want to ask you is, were you a bomb maker in ...
... with Brian Ngulungwa, for instance, when he knew too much and then decided to backtrack. He was killed, and it was admitted. What happened to the Motherwell three policemen and the askari when they threatened to expose? With other words they were involved and then threatened to expose, and ...
MR RAUTENBACH: Could you just place into context for us please something like the Motherwell bomb incident which took place in 1990 ...(intervention)
MR VAN RENSBURG: Motherwell was about four police officers who according to information had clandestinely walked over to the ANC and had started giving information to them and they would also have pointed out a vehicle to the ANC, a Security Branch vehicle, where a bomb would be hidden in and they ...
Mr Snyman, you are applying for amnesty arising from your involvement in the Motherwell bomb incident, in which four members of the then security police were killed. Is that correct?
BRIG CRONJE: I have already said on page 16 that as faras I am aware the same action was taken throughout the country,for instance the Motherwell bomb explosion case, Trustfeed caseand the Pepco 3. There had to be instructions from somewhereto authorise those actions.
MR DE KOCK: Yes. At the Motherwell bomb and I hope it's going to be the last time that I'm going to use it, but in the type of life that we had, but also not myself but people from Military Intelligence, there were thousands of different shades of grey because there was never light really ...
ADV BOOYENS: You were charged with the Motherwell bomb incident and you were found not guilty, is that correct?
MR BOOYENS: You are part of the team investigating the Motherwell bomb, is that correct?
ADV BOOYENS: Can you recall that a couple of days before the Motherwell bomb incident, you received a phone call from Mr Gilbert?
MR DE KOCK: Yes Chairperson, if I look at our past during which we killed other persons, once again I refer to the Motherwell bomb incident during which members of the SAP or the Security Police were killed, for C1 it was not a strange situation.
... in 1977. They involve the disappearance of Sipiwe Mtimkulu and Topsy Madaka. Violations which span a period from 1977 through - and also the Motherwell bomb blast which occurred in 1989, they span violations, involve a similar group of people with a similar chain of command from 1977 ...
MR DE KOCK: Chairperson, not in the formal sense but I reported to head office every day, I still had my official vehicle, I still drew money, I still drew petrol money, I wrote out reports that Baker signed and I executed other operations amongst others the Motherwell bomb.
MR MZOBOSHE: He died. He is the one who died during the bomb explosion at Motherwell.
MR DE KOCK: Yes, Chairperson. In the one case, and I refer to the Motherwell bomb, where people such as General Nick van Rensburg, where the court case was in process, where they had an interdict in the High Court where his name may not be mentioned and then he comes to the Truth Commission and ...
 
SABC Logo
Broadcasting for Total Citizen Empowerment
DMMA Logo
SABC © 2024
>