Marikana inquiry hears testimony from police response team commander

04 May 2016 - 16:58 By Sipho Masombuka

Commander of the police tactical response team (TRT) involved in the August 2012 Marikana shootings‚ Captain Monwabisi Joseph Ntlati‚ has taken the witness stand for the first time at the Claassen Board of Inquiry to give oral testimony on the events of that fateful afternoon. The inquiry is probing suspended police boss Riah Phiyega's fitness to hold office and for misconduct for her role in the decision to implement the tactical plan to disperse and disarm the striking miners‚ which led to the killing of 34 and injury of 78 Lonmin Marikana miners.Captain Ntlati was not called to testify before the Marikana Commission of Inquiry but gave his sworn statement on the events as part of the report compiled by all commanders involved in the operation for the commission.Evidence leader Advocate Ismail Jamie questioned Ntlati on the contents of this particular statement‚ in which he said the commanders were told in an urgent briefing at Joint Operation Centre set up at Lonmin that national management had ordered the dispersing and disarming of the miners gathered at Wonderkop koppie.He said they were briefed by the Special Task Force's Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Scott that the order was from national management‚ which he understood to be national and divisional commissioners.Advocate Jamie put it to Ntlati that Lt-Col Scott had testified in the Marikana commission that he had no recollection of a National Management Forum during which the decision to disperse the miners had allegedly been taken.“I do not know what Scott told the commission but I can only testify on what I heard him say‚ that the order came from national management‚” he said.Phiyega claims to have forgotten the details of the meeting in which the decision to disperse and disarm the miners was taken‚ saying she did not have a “photographic memory” and could not recall “pedantic details” about what happened in the meeting.The Marikana report was critical of police leadership for misleading the inquiry on when the decision was taken to disperse protesting miners was taken. Police initially claimed the decision was taken on 16 August 2012 but documents revealed the decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of the SAPS national management forum (NMF) the day before.The inquiry has adjourned until Thursday to allow the defence to prepare to cross examine Ntlati. - TMG Digital/The Times..

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