Right-Wing Groups - South African Government Information

291. All the applicants, as well as Constable Andre Renier Swart who was in the
company of the deceased victim at the time, testified at the hearing.
292 . The Amnesty Committee heard from the applicants that right-wing organisations
took various steps to pre p a re for an attack on whites on the 27th April 1994,
the day of the election. Members of right-wing organisations were ord e red to
obtain appropriate firearms to ward off the attack. Because the ‘enemy’ would
be armed with automatic weapons, they believed that the anticipated attack
could only be effectively warded off if the right wing was armed with automatic
w e a p o n s .
293. On the day of the incident, the applicants armed themselves and drove to an
army building in Pretoria city centre. The building was guarded by armed
g u a rds. This plan was foiled as they were totally outnumbered by the guard s .
A c c o rding to Holder and Van Zyl, De Meillon had suggested they attack the
g u a rds for the purpose of making propaganda. This they refused to do. They
testified that by then it had become clear to them that De Meillon was a fanatic.
294. Driving home in the direction of Secunda, De Meillon re m e m b e red an Airforce
base at Devon where he had done a part of his military service in 1992. They
decided to go there. Holder and Van Zyl testified that they intended to re c o n-
n o i t re the base in preparation for an arms ro b b e r y.
295. Led by De Meillon, the applicants entered the guardhouse at the Devon base
without first ascertaining who was inside. It became apparent that the guardhouse
was occupied by members of the police. De Meillon ord e red the police to
hand over their weapons. However, although both police officers were armed
with their service pistols, there were no automatic weapons in the guardhouse.
296. In the course of disarming the deceased victim, a scuffle ensued between him
and De Meillon. Shots were fired and De Meillon was wounded and Serg e a n t
Terblanche killed. De Meillon took the deceased victim’s service pistol and ran
to the vehicle followed by Holder. They drove to Secunda where De Meillon
obtained medical assistance and was later arrested in hospital. Van Zyl kept
possession of the deceased’s pistol for a few days, whereafter he took it apart
and threw it into a dam. Holder and Van Zyl were also subsequently arre s t e d .
297. The Committee found that the attack on the deceased fell outside the orders or
authority given to the applicants to obtain automatic weapons for the purposes
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