TUESDAY, 3.30PM
FORMER Civil Co-Operation Bureau managing director Joe Verster, who testified before the Harms Commission in disguise, was finally photographed by journalists on Tuesday during a break in questioning by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s investigative unit.
The grey-haired, bespectacled Verster, who was subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors at the TRC’s Cape Town offices, showed no emotion as cameramen flocked around him, ignoring warnings from Verster’s lawyer that he was not voluntarily being photographed.
Investigative unit head Dumisa Ntsebeza said he had ruled earlier that the media could not be stopped from photographing Verster. There had been full argument from Verster’s legal representatives and lawyers for the commission and, “in the light of all evidence it is a situation I can’t stop”.
Asked whether photographs of Verster would not place the former CCB man’s life at risk, Ntsebeza said he had considered all arguments and that, in any event, the TRC has a witness protection programme.
Verster was appearing for a second consecutive day before a four-member panel of the investigative unit. Two other CCB operatives are also due to be questioned by the commission. Abram “Slang” Van Zyl is to appear on Thursday and Wouter Basson (alias Christo Britz) on Friday.
A Namibian High Court inquest implicated Van Zyl and Basson in the 1989 assassination of Swapo lawyer Anton Lubowski. It is believed the CCB men will not be restricted to answering questions only on the Lubowski matter.