the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
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181 A rump TRC staff has remained to consider thousands <strong>of</strong> outstanding<br />
amnesty applications. The Commission plans to be out <strong>of</strong> business by early<br />
2001.<br />
182 According to <strong>the</strong> current staff <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> TRC, <strong>the</strong> political climate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day<br />
prevented <strong>the</strong> TRC from employing former military and intelligence personnel<br />
as researchers. Bishop Tutu and o<strong>the</strong>r senior members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> TRC reportedly<br />
accepted <strong>the</strong> criticisms that <strong>the</strong>y were naïve about <strong>the</strong> willingness <strong>of</strong> senior<br />
politicians and some foot soldiers in <strong>the</strong> apar<strong>the</strong>id regime to engage in full<br />
disclosure and reconciliation in hindsight. According to <strong>the</strong>se staff members,<br />
Bishop Tutu has stated recently that he would not have agreed to grant blanket<br />
amnesty, based on his experiences working with certain recalcitrant and<br />
unrepentant witnesses. The current TRC staff is planning to publish codicils to<br />
<strong>the</strong> original report covering former President de Klerk’s behavior as President,<br />
since a legal injunction by de Klerk forced <strong>the</strong> TRC to leave that section blank<br />
in <strong>the</strong> 1998 report. The Commission is also continuing to investigate <strong>the</strong> causes<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Heldenberg commercial airliner crash that was believed to be secretly<br />
carrying explosive materials for <strong>the</strong> nuclear <strong>program</strong>. An 800-page report<br />
about this incident was recently posted on <strong>the</strong> TRC web site and <strong>the</strong><br />
Commission plans to issue a final report before it goes out <strong>of</strong> existence in<br />
2001. (Interview with Mr. Patti Prior, Advocate, and associates in <strong>the</strong> Legal<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> TRC, Cape Town, 20 July 2000).<br />
The former top military leadership was so incensed by <strong>the</strong>ir treatment<br />
before <strong>the</strong> TRC and <strong>the</strong> procedures employed that <strong>the</strong>y formed an informal<br />
Contact Bureau and issued an alternative report and response to <strong>the</strong> TRC final<br />
report. The purpose <strong>of</strong> this report was to address <strong>the</strong> flaws and perceived<br />
biased and unfair treatment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SADF by <strong>the</strong> TRC and to provide <strong>the</strong> public<br />
with a “true picture <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cold War and armed conflict – <strong>the</strong> spirit and<br />
dynamics, <strong>the</strong> psychoses and syndromes.” See Analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> TRC Report by<br />
<strong>the</strong> SADF Contact Bureau, 28 May 1999, compiled by Maj. Gen. Dirk Marais<br />
(ret.), Convener <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SADF Contact Bureau, Pretoria, South Africa. Despite<br />
this animosity, many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> retired generals associated with this network are<br />
now serving on advisory commissions for <strong>the</strong> SANDF. This group also<br />
maintains an <strong>of</strong>fice at SA Defense Headquarters. (Interview with Gen. (ret.)<br />
Dirk Marais, Convener <strong>of</strong> SADF Contact Bureau and telephone interview with<br />
Gen. (ret.) Jannie Geldenhuys, 13 July 2000).<br />
183 Orr, From Biko to Basson, 326.<br />
184<br />
No coherent explanation has emerged to date to fully explain why Wouter<br />
Basson was caught peddling drugs or <strong>the</strong> timing <strong>of</strong> his drug arrest. Several <strong>of</strong><br />
our interviewees emphasized <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>re were tensions between <strong>the</strong><br />
various agencies involved in monitoring Basson’s movements prior to his<br />
arrest. A couple <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se interviewees reported that <strong>the</strong>y were told that<br />
110