MONDAY, 3.00PM
VLAKPLAAS killer-cop squad founder General JJ Viktor on Monday denied ordering security policemen to petrol bomb the homes of activists in 1986. It was only a suggestion, Viktor said.
At a hearing of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s amnesty committee, Viktor also denied giving a general order to eliminate activists. Viktor was testifying in response to claims by four of his former subordinates that all unlawful actions carried out by them had been in line with an order by Viktor that they use guerrilla tactics against anti-apartheid activists.
Former Northern Transvaal security police head Brigadier Jack Cronje and four other former security policemen — Colonel Roelf Venter, Captain Wouter Mentz, Captain Jacques Hechter and Warrant-Officer Paul van Vuuren — have applied for amnesty for more than 60 murders. Viktor was subponaed to testify before the commission at the request of a lawyer representing some of the voctims’ families.
In his testimony, Viktor admitted telephoning Cronje in March 1986 but said this had been a courtesy call to inform him of a conversation he had had with three junior policemen. Viktor said the three had told him how difficult it was to arrest people suspected of intimidation and torching black policemen’s homes.
“The people responsible for the intimidation were often known. But people were scared to give testimony,” Viktor recalled. “From my side there was a suggestion: since you know the people responsible why don’t you intimidate them back? Why don’t you respond with your own intimidation? Hunt these people day and night. These people must not have the opportunity to continue in peace with their intimidation.” Viktor denied this suggestion boiled down to an order to eliminate people.
During the same discussion with the three policemen he had also suggested that they fight fire with fire by petrol-bombing the homes of activists known to have taken part in the torching of black policemen’s houses. Later that day he had telephoned Cronje to inform of the discussion and the suggestions he had made. He denied suggesting Cronje should embark on a “full-scale war”, saying he ” did not have the authority to give such an instruction”.
He denied knowlege or involvement in the murders of African National Congress activisit Jerry Thibedi and the so-called Nietverdient 10 (10 youths who were drugged and then blown up in a joint security police-special forces operation). Cronje alleged in his amnesty application that Viktor had telephoned to congratulate him on the Nietverdient operation.