BOTHA, JJ

But I’m not here to apoligise, that’s my point with the so-called Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They want me to apologise. I’m not prepared to apologise.

I realized that I could have done more to turn the tide of apartheid earlier. I acknowledge that I could have done more in the State Security Council, in the cabinet and in Parliament to ensure that political opponents were not killed or tortured by government institutes. I could have and should ...

Are you going to apologise to the people who died in jail, who died in Lesotho, who died in … // No, I’m praying for them.

In 1987 Samuel Thwane joined Rocky Malebane Metsing’s People’s Progressive Party that opposed the government of Lucas Mangope in Bophuthatswana. // We had the support of the people. The whole of Bophuthatswana supported us. We were confidant until after the elections. After the results were ...

This is my land, my native land. This is my South Africa. I’m not going to allow you to interfere in our internal affairs. Keep your hands out of South Africa. We will solve our problems in our own way.

The Ngo hearing continue in Bloemfontein this coming week when all 23 implicated policemen are expected to testify. In the latest finding of the Amnesty Committee the issue of racially inspired murders has come under the spotlight once again. In a president setting ruling the Committee has granted ...

‘We in the National Party are now sick and tired of being represented as Nazis and thugs. I warn you, if you continue to besmirch us in this way, you will unleash forces in South Africa the end result of which cannot be foreseen. I will keep law and order in South Africa and no one in the world ...

I assure you Mr. Chairperson that the Seychelles coup was neither discussed nor approved by the South African cabinet or the State Security Council.

The leader of a gang that went on a stabbing spree near Durban’s beach front yesterday has been arrested. Reliable sources say … // … A knife wielding men left eight people injured. // [Inaudible] towers police chief Major-General IG Coetzee has called in a crack team of special ...

Jack Cronje and four other security policemen, Jacques Hechter, Wouter Mentz, Paul van Vuuren and Roelf Venter are applying for amnesty for more than 40 murders. These were mostly Vlakplaas operations. Vlakplaas and the death squad activities of the police have been the focus of the most recent ...

‘This man, PW, is quite fearless, sometimes to a point that drives his security men to distraction. Threats, bomb scares, even two actual bomb explosions in Paris, but PW wants to go for a stroll in the Bois de Boulogne.

Only four months after the assassination of David Webster the most prominent white member of the Namibian liberation movement, Anton Lubowski, was shot and killed in front of his house in Windhoek. One of the men who conspired to kill him, Irish citizen Donald Acheson, was arrested soon after the ...

This one guy he was just so bossies, he was actually amusing. I mean whenever you heard helicopters, I mean this is Voortrekkerhoogte, it’s like a military town, helicopters going all the time. This guy heard a helicopter, he would shoot under his bed and he would go into … this guy was … his ...

The truth and reconciliation process was intended to open up South Africa’s dark and painful past so people could bury their pain and make peace with their fellow citizens. For the last 11 months we have seen that this is a traumatic experience for victims and a very uncomfortable one for those ...

These words and phrases reflected the general reaction amongst the majority of white South Africans whenever a murder or bomb explosion by terrorists was announced. It was reasonable therefore that members of the security forces would have interpreted a phrase like ”wipe out the terrorists” to ...

No but you [Max du Preez] are always in front to do wrong things. He’s one of the gentlemen I don’t like.

‘Booby-trapped hand grenades’ // ‘Permanent uit die samelewing verwyder,’ remove permanently from society.

Commissioner Johan van der Merwe also told the Truth Commission that the 1988 order to bomb Khotso House in Johannesburg originated in the state president’s office. // In 1988 the headquarters of the South African Council of Churches in Johannesburg was bombed. 18 people were injured and the ...

Your name is all over the Ferdi Barnard charge sheet, why didn’t you come forward to clear your name? // To be quite honest, I’ve noted all the allegations. I have approached the TRC with regards to an application, with regards to certain activities which took place within the CCB boundaries so ...

‘He’s a very neat and a very tidy man. That is, I suppose, the reason why he always chooses and selects his own clothes.’