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Operation Zero Zero

Explanation
Eight young activists were killed and at least seven were injured in explosions involving booby-trapped hand grenades in Duduza, KwaThema and Tsakane, Tvl, on 26 June 1985. The zero-timed grenades had been provided by a Vlakplaas operative purporting to be an MK operative. The operation, codenamed 'Zero Zero', had been authorised by the Minister of Law and Order. Fifteen Security Branch operatives, including the head of the Security Branch and other senior personnel, were granted amnesty for the operation.

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... that you in fact succeeded in doing so. What do you say about that? // After we set up the original ambush for them, we then withdrew from the operation. Thereafter they shot at us first; they attacked us and we were simply a lot more successful in actually countering this attack. That’s ...
But for those instances where civilians were hit, Mbeki expressed the ANC’s deep regret. He named a list of operations that did not go strictly according to ANC rules. The first was an operation that was never intended to be.
... to attend any complaints in this area, no motor vehicle is allowed to go into this area and I asked them what’s going on. They said it’s an ...
to Cape Town by this Vlakplaas colleague, Constable Thapelo Mbelo and two askaris. Shortly after their arrival in Cape Town their first high profile operation in collaboration with Cape Town security police took place, the killing of the Gugulethu Seven. This week they applied for amnesty for ...
... man, Johan du Preez was off duty. But he was quick to comply with the request. As soon as he arrived with his machine the torture plan swung into operation. Du Preez stayed on to help and Col At van Niekerk stood by ...
... between 5 and 10 000 lives and at least one of the people who is in Chikurubi now as a convicted prisoner was very directly involved in the secret operation that orchestrated that conflict between ZAPU and ZANU and created such suffering in our country in the early 1980s. So many many thousands ...
Janni Mohapi says that he was travelling with Vuyo Charles after an operation when they saw a roadblock at Brandfort. Vuyo got out of the car, but the police had seen the car slowing down and went after him. // So I presume that he blew himself up with a hand grenade, although the police were ...
... He also showed remorse for the murder of two children during the raid on the house of Sam Chand in Botswana. I still have a problem with this operation. I think of the children who were shot and I don’t live comfortably with this ...
... years? And above all, they must be able to tell the Truth Commission whether politicians like Adriaan Vlok and PW Botha knew of and ordered certain operations. General Engelbrecht was known as the Vlakplaas sweeper. He was the policeman who had to cover up police death squad operations ...
the story. They were killed by Lotz and others in a cover up that has become known as the Motherwell bomb. Perhaps the most serious casualty of this operation was the very law and order that these policemen claimed they were so desperate to ...
But you ended up killing people who are not regarded as white. Could this be regarded as a botched or a messed up operation? // Sir, I cannot comment on that. We were told to go to the tavern …. I don’t know how to respond to your statement.
Beyond the contradictory accounts and the spine chilling facts, both Mbelo and Bellingan gave an insight into the emotional effects and anger they feel now about the operation then.
... piece of bone that we know is existing in any part of the length and breadth of this country. But our mandated period, certainly our period of operation as the TRC, may expire before we have done all the work that needs to be done. As I speak, I’ve been told that there are no less than ...
The operation was the brainchild of General Johan van der Merwe and approved at the highest level of the then National Party government. // General van der Merwe gave the express instruction to use the hand grenades and to make these available to activists in order to eliminate them. It was a ...
Then you went back to Vlakplaas where you gave orders to Martinus Ras, Snyman and Vermeulen to prepare for the operation. What precisely did you tell them? // I can’t give you specific details, but the gist of it was that people would be killed and specifically that policemen would be killed. // ...
Mamasela is a self confessed killer. He’s one of the Vlakplaas operatives who took part in the Pebco Three operation. He has not applied for amnesty but will testify before the Truth Commission once all the amnesty applicants have been heard. He has a very different account of the killings.
... cross for bravery, one of three medals for bravery that De Kock had received in his 27 year career in the police. Those who knew about and approved operations, De Kock said, were PW Botha, former ministers of law and order Louis Le Grange and Adriaan Vlok, former police commissioners Mike ...
And the decision was in the conduct of war it is not possible to avoid civilian losses. // After the few incidences where civilians were caught, the president called us in and asked us to put a stop to this method of operation. I gave the instructions to all our forces to stop using the landmine.
... targeted by the Defence Force, I cannot say how their thoughts went, she could have been an innocent bystander. I cannot say. If I had executed the operation I would also have killed her. // I understood that the two were together and that both were shot. I cannot explain why she was shot but ...
Cadres were under strict instruction to carry out reconnaissance properly so that military patrols were the primary target of the landmine operations. This arose, Chairperson, out of what the regime was doing at the time when it incorporated areas: white farms and white farmers in the border areas ...
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