Apartheid-era police officers 'decorated' for violent acts - ex-Mandela cop
22 March 2017
Cape Town – Certain apartheid-era police officers were lauded for their involvement in the bombing of Community House in Salt River and the killing of activists in Gugulethu in the 1980s, it was heard in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.
The court also heard that a group of 35 white police officers formed an exclusive club to ensure their interests were protected.
Major-General Andre Lincoln submitted this as part of his testimony while under cross-examination on Wednesday.
He said that it had worried some police officers that he was working in the Western Cape and that he did not have to answer to them.
This was in the mid-1990s.
Lincoln said his work in the Western Cape had especially bothered senior police officer Leonard Knipe, and another officer with the surname Rossouw.
"That did bother them. That was the motive to get me out the province."
He said the officers had been decorated for the bombing of Community House in Salt River in 1987 and for the killing of seven anti-apartheid activists in Gugulethu in 1986.
In 1996, then-president Nelson Mandela tasked Lincoln with heading up a presidential investigative task unit to probe Cape Town-based Italian mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police and business people.
But criminal allegations against Lincoln and others in the unit then surfaced, leading to his arrest.
He was convicted on a number of charges, of which he was later acquitted.
Lincoln is now claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for what he has termed malicious prosecution.
On Wednesday, Lincoln went on to testify about an apartheid-era group of officers dubbed "Club 35".
"Club 35 looked after the interests of their own. It was exclusive... It was 35 senior-ranking white Afrikaans police officers at the time," he said.
However, it was put to Lincoln that Club 35 had in fact been a group for socialising and getting together for braais.
Lincoln dismissed this.
The case continues. News24
Apartheid security police lured youth 'to their slaughter' - ex-Mandela cop
Cape Town - Major-General Andre Lincoln on Wednesday insisted - in a series of startling accusations - that police officers removed evidence from the scenes of government-ordered crimes committed in the 1980s.
He submitted this as part of his testimony while under cross-examination in the Western Cape High Court.
Most of Lincoln's claims were made against Leonard Knipe, a former senior policeman with the murder and robbery unit.
Lincoln believes Knipe was part of a group of police officers that "cleaned" crime scenes, including after the killing of seven anti-apartheid activists in Gugulethu in 1986, and the bombing of Community House in Salt River in 1987.
On Wednesday, it was put to Lincoln that Knipe was innocent and that he had been at the Gugulethu scene because he had heard about it on the radio and responded, as was his duty.
"Those events were well doctored by the apartheid government. [Knipe's task] was to remove any evidence that would point to the police. For 20 years that remained a secret," Lincoln said.
The killing of the so-called Gugulethu Seven was "a huge incident".
"It involved innocent people. It involved security police using youth and leading them to their slaughter," he said.
Not guilty
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission however found Knipe not guilty of any wrongdoing in both the bombing and killing of the seven.
Lincoln said this was because he had not been directly involving in the killings or bombings and, therefore, would not have applied for amnesty.
Knipe, who was seated in the courtroom's public gallery, shook his head as Lincoln testified.
In 1996, then-president Nelson Mandela tasked Lincoln with heading up a presidential investigative unit to probe Cape Town-based Italian mafioso Vito Palazzolo and his links to government officials, police, and businessmen.
Lincoln was arrested when criminal allegations against him and others in the unit surfaced. He was accused of a number of charges, but was acquitted.
Lincoln is now claiming R15m in damages from the minister of safety and security (now the minister of police) for alleged malicious prosecution.
Lincoln believes Knipe, who was tasked with probing the presidential investigative unit, had been used to tarnish his image because his work included probing high-ranking officers.
Guise
Earlier on Wednesday, Lincoln said he had purported to be responsible for then-deputy president Thabo Mbeki's safety, as a guise to infiltrate various groupings.
Lincoln said this was part of his "legend" - the character he represented to some of those he was investigating.
"My legend remained constant. I was attached to the deputy president as a senior police officer responsible for his safety."
The case is set to resume on Thursday.
