self-protection units (SPUs)

Geneva protocol? // Landmines were used in areas that were extensively patrolled by the South African Defence Force and also by the Area Protection Units known by the term ‘commandoes.’ Most of those operations, landmine operations, were in the border areas, the areas that were patrolled ...

unit for the protection of VIP’s in KwaZulu was approved by the State Security Council. Any suggestions therefore that the training of the KwaZulu units had anything to do with the establishment of a third force, which was at that stage still under consideration, constitutes a blatant disregard ...

... on the violation of education rights; public feedback on the TRC; and Archbishop Tutu?s appeal to soldiers, policemen, guerrillas and self defence units to apply for amnesty in the next six days. ...

... that the NP leadership was aware of and never disciplined him for authorizing illegal actions. The SADF was less forthcoming especially on covert units like the CCB and DCC. Former Commander of Special Forces did however give evidence on Special Forces deployed inside the country to support ...

Self Defence Units (SDUs)

... through the mud from General to Private. We are here to defend the honour of the Defence Force. And we are also here to defend the honour of our units, because I served in bloody good units and there are a lot of them today. Welcome to the paratroopers, 32 Battalion guys and the rekkies, ...

Successive states of emergency created an environment where secret units of the security forces flourished. Units like the shady Civil Cooperation Bureau and the police death squads at Vlakplaas were formed.

During the eighties townships under siege hit back in more ways than one. Underground defence units were formed. The armed struggle was taking route inside the country. In 1990 State President FW de Klerk unbanned the liberation movements and released their leaders. But instead of peace and ...

... intelligence division, Maj-Genl Krappies Engelbrecht. They and the other police officers named in the report were placed on immediate leave. Police units implicated were the old Vlakplaas units C10, the East Rand Murder and Robbery Squad and the Durban Security Branch as well as the KwaZulu ...

Not all self defence unit action was this benign. In the townships around Johannesburg self defence units were involved in day to day combat with amongst others Inkatha members and the internal stability unit. Many people lost their lives in the ever spiralling violence and for many the self ...

nobody told nobody. In other words the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing. There was 24 hours surveillance on him by surveillance units of BOSS in Durban. // 24 hour? // Yes. // For years? // For years. // And BOSS’ surveillance unit itself was doing surveillance and sometimes ...

This is a matter of concern to the entire leadership of the ANC. Our people are being killed and violence is escalating. There’s been a loud outcry from our people for arms and for the setting up of self defence units. The National Executive Committee is looking into this issue.

But the National Party when questioned about the widespread killing and torture of opponents and the use of covert units like that at Vlakplaas and the Civil Cooperation Bureau, was not able to explain who took the decisions and who should take final responsibility.

... subpoenaed Mangosuthu Buthelezi or any of his Lieutenants to explain their role. One of the most notable successes of the TRC’s Investigation Units has been the exhumation unit which has helped many families dig quite literally for the dark secrets of the past. Over the last two years of ...

Africa. Fifty Ciskei policemen were formed up in three lines behind the blade wire. They were equipped with riot control gear. Directly behind them, units of the Ciskei Defence Force were on full alert. They were the last line of defence protecting Bisho. Brigadier Oelschig of the SADF was then in ...

... with the riot unit at that particular time. We were not able to identify who at that particular time was the commander of those particular two units. But the guy who was known to be shooting, it was a soldier from Queenstown called McOwen, he was coming from Queenstown. And another one was ...

... violence: Bantu Education. And we bring you a special appeal from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to soldiers, policemen, guerrillas and self defence units to apply for amnesty in the next six days. Let’s visit the KwaZulu-Natal midlands first. It’s the story of a policeman who will have the ...

APLA units across the country were told that we haven’t got enough money, we haven’t got enough guns, we haven’t got enough ammunition and the Boers have lots of money, lots of ammunition, lots of guns and they must go and repossess them, not steal them.

... What appears from investigations thus far is that there were farms which were used as headquarters by the security police or by Vlakplaas-type units. We had Vlakplaas; we had Andy Taylor’s Camp Adon, a farm he used as headquarters. We had a similar sort of headquarters in East London, ...

... getting together having a braaivleis and swopping bush stories. What it is, is SWAPO, ANC, APLA, Umkhonto we Sizwe, Koevoet, Recces, all the units, every single unit, everybody whoever was trained in any way militarily getting together and just making some kind of sense of the mess that we ...