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D’ATH, GeorgeAge Description No plan, no envisaged plan, no joint venture of that nature was ever discussed with me at all. // I’m not aware of any case where the Defence Force and the police would have acted together internally and where people had been killed and had not been discussed with me. // I in my more than 35 ... When I first started photographing this process I didn’t know what was going on. It was a totally new and novel experience. I think the biggest shock for me was when I had to photograph Capt Benzien showing how he tortured people. I know Winnie. She wasn’t as bad as she is at the moment. She used to be a mother; she used to be a loving person. You’d go to Winnie with your grievances; she would help you if she can. But what has turned now lately, I don’t know what happened to her. Nobody is above the law. If the law ... Mr Siebert, did you assault Mr Biko? // No I did not. // Did you cause his death? // His death was caused by the incident which took place. // I asked you a simple question, did you cause his death? // I would not be able to say if I was responsible, there were a few of us present there. We oppose the applications of all the applicants for amnesty Mr Chairman and members of the Committee. And want to say at the outset that we do so primarily because we consider their applications an attempt to clear their names with a self defence story in order that the record should be expunged, ... If you feel that you’ve done nothing wrong is it really necessary for you to apply for amnesty? // Frankly, it’s not necessary. The only thing is I did it because I was involved in that little struggle. // Whose idea was it that you should apply for amnesty Mr Marx? // Niewoudt. Now we look forward to the testimony of the National Party and other political parties which starts in Cape Town tomorrow. Let’s move to Nelspruit in Mpumalanga where the Truth Commission’s Amnesty Committee heard the cases of former activists across the political spectrum. One of the men who ... The raids in Lesotho, 1982, 1985; the raids in Matola 1981; the raids in Swaziland; the raids in Mozambique; the raids in Angola; the raids in Zambia; the raids in Zimbabwe; the raids in Botswana; all were because of the policies of PW Botha. We must never forget our history. There’s a difference, is there, between killing people in war and killing people by assassin. // There is Mr. Chairman, there is. // Is that a form of your conservative party logic Mr. Derby-Lewis? // Mr. Chairman, assassination is an act of war, it can occur during a war situation. // Murder is ... The Hani lawyers asked why the applicants had remained silent about the existence of these records. They said it showed that the applicants were not making a full disclosure. // I want to read, firstly to hand in, copies of a letter on president counsel letterheads written by Mr. Derby-Lewis to the ... You did nothing unlawful. You helped colleagues whom you had a duty to assist and you assisted them. // That is correct. // Therefore you did no wrong. // That is correct. // Then why on earth did you apply for amnesty for an assault which you did not commit? // As I’ve already said I used ... Have you apologised about wasting a valuable life that might have made a valuable contribution to the people of South Africa? // No, how can I ever apologise for an act of war. War is war. There is a perception amongst NGO’s and amongst certain members of the legal fraternity that a large degree of impunity exists in KwaZulu-Natal in terms of the lack of prosecutions and a lack of convictions. What’s your response to that? // I would like an opportunity to discuss that with the ... Have you apologized about wasting a valuable life that may have paid a valuable contribution to the people of South Africa mister Derby-Lewis? // Mister Chairman, with respect, may I ask is this a condition and is this something over which the Committee should then be subjected to evidence? My ... Although she denies all knowledge of the assassination plan Derby-Lewis told the Amnesty Committee that she believed it was politically inspired. This is what she told the police during her interrogation in 1993. // We had minimal contact with the right in terms of being involved with them. I ... Two ministers who were close to the family informed them about his death. At the mortuary police prevented them from going inside to identify his body. They were only allowed to view the head of the corpse through a window. // Through the window we could see Benji’s head, it was swollen, you ... Your evidence was that Col Snyman reported that there was discussion at the JMC in which the Defence Force people put in the JMC, put the security police under pressure and suggested that the security police were unable to stabilize the position. Do you recall that? // Yes. // Now ... of this ... Did you lie in order to protect your husband? // I did. // Are you not lying now through your teeth in order to get amnesty for your husband? // Definitely not Bizos. If anyone were to suggest that Mr. Mhlauli was unknown to the security police in Port Elizabeth, what would you say to that? // I would have differed with that. // You would say that he was well known as a leading activist in close contact with Goniwe and others and a dangerous person. // That’s ... So you are telling me that the South African police service is involved, or has been at least in this occasion, on oiling the palms, greasing the palms of convicted murderers for the purpose of establishing a case against somebody else. // The investigators indicated to me that it was very ... |
