Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
July 3, 1997
Some changes have been made to the two week programme of amnesty hearings in Cape Town, starting Monday, July 7.
The main change is the deletion of the Heidelberg Tavern massacre from the programme, as parliament has not yet extended officially the cut-off date for applications to the time of the incident - 30 December 1993. Some other applications will now be heard instead, including those of two people who asked for amnesty in relation to the Guguletu Seven incident in 1986.
On Monday, July 7, the applications of Philemon Maxam (36), Crosby Ndinisa (28) and Madoda Tisana (28) in relation to the April 1986 deaths of Rholian-Anne Foster and John Geyser in Paarl, will continue before the Amnesty committee. The hearing of their applications were postponed during May this year. They claimed to be part of a local youth and community groups affiliated to the UDF at the time of the murders. All are serving prison sentences for the deeds. They were convicted in 1990.
On Tuesday the Amnesty Committee will hear the applications of four people convicted for the death of Ms Amy Biehl. American Fulbright exchange student, Amy Biehl, was killed in Guguletu on August 25, 1993. Four people sentenced for her death applied for amnesty saying the were members of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) military and student wings - Apla and Paso. They are Mzikhona Nofemela (26), Ntobeko Peni (21) and Vusumzi Ntamo (25) and Mongezi Manqina (25). All were given 18 year prison sentences for her murder. The matter will be heard on July 8 and Biehl's family from America will attend the hearings.
On 9 and 10 July the applications of three people claiming responsibility for the 1993 St James Church massacre will be heard. At least 11 people died and more than 20 were injured severely when the applicants burst into the church on 25 July 1993 with automatic weapons and shot indiscriminately at people attending the Sunday night service, including some visiting Russian seamen. The applicants, who are serving jail sentences claim to have been members of the PAC and Apla at the time. They are: Gcinikhaya Makoma, Bassie Mkhumbuzi and Letlapa Mpahlele.
Retired security policeman, Wilhelm Riaan Bellingan (38) and South African Police Service member, Sergeant Thapelo Johannes Mbelo (36), have applied for amnesty in relation to the Guguletu Seven incident on March 3, 1986 in which seven young liberation activists were killed by the police in what has been termed and ambush. An extensive TRC investigation and special event hearings were held on the matter during the last year, and some family members of the deceased have made human rights violations statements to the Commission. Both Bellingan and Mbelo testified in camera before the TRC's Western Cape Investigative Unit after being subpoenaed about the incident. Their applications will be heard on Friday, July 11.
Three applications are provisionally scheduled to be heard during the week starting with Monday, July 14. They are those of:
- Police Inspector Jeffrey Benzien (49) applied for amnesty in relation to the death of ANC/UDF activist Ashley Kriel in 1986 when Benzien was attached to the Bishop Lavis Murder and Robbery unit. This matter will be heard on July 11. Kriel died on July 9, 1987, while hiding out in a house in Hazendal, Athlone. Benzien also applied for other "possible" human rights violations during the 1980's.
- Falibango Walter Tanda (36) and Andile Shiceka (27) applied for amnesty for the ambushing of police vehicles in Khayelitsha, Old Crossroads and Guguletu during1993. They state in their applications that four people died and several were injured in these attacks. Both say their were members of the Pan Africaist Congress at the time.
Media can contact Christelle Terreblanche for more information at 021-245161 (office hours) or on 0824588461.