The truth commission has released details of the Steyn Report, concealed since 1992 – and it contains startling disclosures. Stefaans BrUmmer reports
FORMER state president FW de Klerk entrusted action on the elusive Steyn Report, which linked the apartheid military to “third force” activities, to three top military officials who were themselves implicated – including the present South African National Defence Force chief, General George Meiring.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission this week released details of the Steyn Report, made to De Klerk in December 1992 by then defence force chief of staff Pierre Steyn. This disclosure settles once and for all that the report in fact contained a written element. De Klerk, who never released details, has told Parliament the report was “verbal”.
The release may have serious implications for De Klerk, who is now shown to have had knowledge of third force activities – including train violence – almost a year and a half before he relinquished power and arguably handled the information in such a way that a cover-up was facilitated. Train violence continued until the day before the 1994 elections.
It may also have implications for Meiring, whom the truth commission is eager to question.
The truth commission announced on Thursday that Steyn, now secretary of defence, briefed commission members on October 10 last year, providing them with a file containing information gathered in his inquiry.
Included was a “staff report” detailing military components and staff and the unlawful or unauthorised activities Steyn suspected they were involved in. The commission said Steyn had handed this to De Klerk when he briefed De Klerk.
Commission research director Charles Villa- Vicencio confirmed Steyn’s report contained information on train violence by elite reconnaissance unit members of the old South African Defence Force, the involvement of the SADF’s 7 Medical Battalion in chemical-biological warfare operations which included the alleged poisoning of state enemies, interference in the political affairs of neighbouring states and homeland coups.
Also included was information about “a range of suggested criminal activities in relation to drugs, ivory and rhino horn, cycads, fish from Mozambique and the smuggling of arms through the Kruger National Park”.
De Klerk appointed Steyn to take charge of the SADF’s intelligence functions and investigate the Directorate of Covert Collection (DCC), a component of Military Intelligence, after the Goldstone Commission raided DCC’s headquarters in November 1992.
When Steyn reported back to De Klerk and senior National Party cabinet members a month later, he gave them information on alleged illegal activities by DCC, army intelligence, army operations, some reconnaissance units and 7 Medical Battalion.
Villa-Vicencio said Steyn’s briefing to De Klerk included information that “a number of individuals within these structures had clear influence on the top management of the SADF, thus by implication the SADF itself could be construed to be involved in the creation of violence and intimidation”.
Importantly Steyn recommended to De Klerk that General Kat Liebenberg, then chief of the SADF, General Meiring, then chief of the Army, and General Joffel van der Westhuizen, then chief of military intelligence, be “asked to take early retirements or forcibly retired if necessary”.
Steyn, whose findings were based mostly on intelligence gathered by the then-National Intelligence Service and other agencies, recommended that De Klerk institute a thorough inquiry to substantiate his information. In stead, the three generals Steyn said should go were summoned to Tuynhuis, where De Klerk asked them to draw up a list of military personnel against whom action should be taken.
As a result, De Klerk issued a statement a day later, saying that 23 top SADF officials had been placed on compulsory early retirement or leave. The three generals were not on the list. Nine days later, 15 were reinstated.
Villa-Vicencio said that between January 1993 and August 25 that year Steyn repeatedly made submissions to De Klerk and then-defence minister Kobie Coetzee, expressing concern that further investigations were woefully inadequate. In fact, there were indications that the SADF had embarked on a major cover-up and was destroying documentation.
Truth commission deputy chair Alex Boraine this week said it was “extraordinary” that the three generals Steyn wanted investigated had been asked by De Klerk to identify culprits. “It will be very interesting to hear what Mr De Klerk says when he appears again before the commission later this year.”
He said the implication concerning Meiring was “the most disturbing factor of them all…
“There are a number of really tough probing questions we would like to put to General Meiring concerning the Steyn report, and obviously we will be raising it with the minister of defence.”