Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
STATEMENT BY THE WESTERN CAPE OFFICE OF THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
30 APRIL 1997
The TRC's Western Cape Investigative Unit subpoenaed a total of six people this week to appear at a Special Event Hearing on the 1985 Trojan Horse shootings in Athlone.
This morning Sergeant Albertus Myburgh Smit was served with a subpoena and in the afternoon former police lieutenant Douw Vermeulen received a notice. This follows the announcement yesterday that the TRC served subpoenas on three policemen and one member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to appear at the hearing.
The three policemen who have been notified earlier are: Sergeant Alexander Jacobus Rossell, Police Director Christian Loedolf and Sergeant Andre John Smith. The SANDF member is Lieutenant Colonel Salmon Pienaar.
All six were notified in accordance with Section 29 of the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, to give evidence and/or answer questions relating to the Trojan Horse incident. They are scheduled to appear before the TRC panel on Wednesday, May 21.
The first day of the special human rights violations hearing will consist of statements from victims and witnesses of the incident, in which three young men died when police hiding in a truck belonging to the South African Transport Services, opened fire on a group of youths.
They will appear before a panel consisting of Western Cape Commissioners, Adv Denzil Potgieter, Mr Dumisa Ntsebeza (Head of the TRC's Investigative Unit), Ms Mary Burton, Ms Glenda Wildschut and Committee Member, Ms Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela. The meeting will be open to the public.
All those subpoenaed are entitled to appoint legal representatives. If they are not financially capable of doing so, the Commission may appoint a legal representative to assist them.
Staff from the TRC's Western Cape Office have been visiting schools in the Athlone area over the last two weeks, to raise awareness among pupils of the event and the effect of violence on young people and children during the apartheid years. A candlelight procession similar to the ones held in the wake of the Trojan Horse and St Athens Mosque shootings, is planned by the Athlone community for the night before the hearing.
Media can direct further inquiries to Christelle Terreblanche at 0824588461 (cell) or 021-245161