Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The following statement was read by Archbishop Desmond Tutu into the record of the TRC hearing being held in Worcester, Western Cape, this morning. SABC TV cameras were there and FCA members are asked to refer to the SABC. Archbishop Tutu is on his way back to Cape Town:
As a consequence of the various news reports circulating this morning about a letter received by the Commission last Friday, I will read a brief statement on the situation.
A lawyer representing 22 members and ex-members of the South African Police has written to me saying that his clients are prepared to approach the Commission with amnesty applications. He has told me their actions are supported by Mr Vlok and various former generals of the SAP, who will accept, where applicable, collective responsibility and who may also apply for amnesty. The lawyer has also provided us with a list of incidents to be covered by the proposed applications.
No amnesty applications have been received yet. Reports that the generals themselves have written to us are not correct, and it is also incorrect that 20 generals are involved.
The Commission will not at this stage provide any further details of the letter. The lawyer who wrote to us had not yet had a reply when the news emerged - which we regret - and we would prefer to conduct discussions directly with lawyers and not through the media.
We are determined to handle this matter carefully and correctly, and we will of course be consulting with the Chairperson of the Amnesty Committee, Judge Hassen Mall. The potential amnesty applicants will be treated in the same way as any other amnesty applicant, namely in a dispassionate and even-handed manner. June 25 1996