HOME Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi came close to being arrested and charged with the KwaMakhutha murders, according to sources involved in the investigation.
Buthelezi’s name appears several times in the documents that describe events leading to the formation of the Caprivi 200, the hit-squad unit whose members allegedly massacred 13 civilians in 1987.
Most important is a meeting that took place on November 25 1985 between General Tienie Groenewald, then chief director of military intelligence, and the Inkatha leader. The indictment says Buthelezi, fearing plans by African National Congress supporters to “eliminate him and neutralise Inkatha”, asked Groenewald to provide him with protection, information and a military capacity.
The indictment contains an excerpt from a 1984 speech made by Buthelezi in the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly which says: “We must prepare ourselves to hit back with devastating force at those who destroy our property and kill us.”
It adds that Groenewald presented Buthelezi’s requests to Malan and reccommended the South African Defence Force should train “a defensive unit of 50-100 men and an offensive unit of 10-20 men (on a covert basis) for Buthelezi and Inkatha”.
An extraordinary State Security Council meeting was called the next day where “Ministers [Chris] Heunis and [Louis] Le Grange were mandated to assist Buthelezi in creating a security force for KwaZulu”.
The indictment says the State Security Council had initial reservations about the paramilitary offensive unit “and it was then resolved that that aspect be investigated at the highest political level and be cleared with Buthelezi”.
During a further round of discussions with Groenewald, on February 12 1986, Buthelezi requested the SADF to provide him with a “contra-mobilisation capability”, an “offensive capability (or defensive element)” and an “intelligence capability”.
The state’s indictment alleges that in April 1986 Malan asked his chief of staff intelligence, Vice-Admiral Andries Putter, to “sell” the covert aspect of the plan to Buthelezi. If this was successful, implementation of the scheme would proceed in collaboration with Buthelezi’s aide, MZ Khumalo. Putter’s job was to “explain to Buthelezi that the minister of defence [Malan] had sent him because it was [Malan’s] wish to implement the plan for a paramilitary force without delay.”
A top-secret document attached to the indictment says: “Offensive element: the task of this group is to set up a small group of well-trained troops for Inkatha that can be used offensively against the ANC, UDF [United Democratic Front] and related organisations. Further this group can be used as a personal bodyguard unit for the Chief Minister [Buthelezi] in his capacity as President of Inkatha when the SAP is not able to protect
The Mail & Guardian has additional information — supplied in an affidavit made by a defector from the Caprivi 200 group who is not on the witness list — that describes in detail how the group was trained by SADF special forces officers in offensive warfare
The informant, who cannot be named because he fears for his life, explains the group received further training at a farm near Pretoria after returning to South Africa from the Caprivi Strip.
“The day for us to leave Pretoria came. We left in a removals truck. We were escorted by a small car with four whites [in it]. It was doing surveillance. We were taken back to Nhlungwane (a camp in KwaZulu-Natal). Dr Buthelezi came to meet us. He was accompanied by Brigadier Mathe and Zakhele Khumalo, his assistant in Inkatha. He received us. An ox was slaughtered.”
This affidavit adds that Caprivi fighter Vela Mchunu was involved in the murder of union shop stewards at Mpophomeni near Howick (see accompanying story). After this killing “he [Mchunu] went to hide at Ulundi and was received by Zakhele Khumalo, Chief Buthelezi’s assistant who is in charge of Inkatha
Sources close to the investigation say there was a real possibility that Buthelezi would be charged because of the information contained in the secret document. However, because the investigative team wanted to build a watertight case — and because technical details were missing — it was decided to leave him off the charge sheet.