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Mail & Guardian reporter
SEVERAL senior military men, including former Civilian Co-operation Bureau (CCB) operatives, will receive subpoenas in the next three weeks ordering them to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
While most former policemen implicated in “dirty tricks” operations are busy preparing submissions in pursuit of indemnity from prosecution, few members of the former South African Defence Force (SADF)have so far decided to voluntarily spill the beans.
But the truth commission is preparing about a dozen subpoenas to serve on men such as former military intelligence chief General Joffel van der Westhuizen; Eddie Webb, former chairman of the CCB; Joe Verster, its former managing director; and other office- bearers in the SADF’s secret organisation. Verster and his colleagues were paid off shortly after the CCB was disbanded six years ago.
Among them were several Angolans who had previously worked for the SADF’s special forces.
While little is known about the CCB operations outside South Africa, its internal operatives – mostly former policemen – are also going to be subpoenaed, among them convicted murderer Ferdie Barnard, “Staal” Burger, “Slang” van Zyl, “Calla” Barnard and others.
A number of senior special forces operatives are also on the truth commission’s list, as are others who served both military and army intelligence and who may need to seek indemnity from prosecution.
The subpoenas will be issued prior to the cut-off date of mid-December for voluntary applications for amnesty. The truth commission, however, will continue to subpoena more former SADF members next year.
The commission is about to be swamped with applications for amnesty from policemen before the cut-off date for voluntary applications
The Transvaal attorney general has hundreds of cases under investigation for prosecution, and at least one major trial will get under way before the courts close, also in mid-December.