Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
8 December 1997
ADVISORY BY DUMISA NTSEBEZA, HEAD OF THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION'S INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
The TRC's Investigative Unit is scheduled to exhume the bodies of 10 MK cadres in the Northern Province this week. The body of an Apla cadre, killed in 1988, will also be exhumed on Wednesday, provided his relatives in East London can be contacted in time. This will be the first Apla cadre's body to be exhumed by the TRC.
Tomorrow, 9 December, the team will travel to Thohoynadou in Venda where three MK operatives were buried at Mbaleni graveyard in 1983, following abduction from their operational base in Zimbabwe and their subsequent killing, allegedly at the hands of former South African Security police. They are: Patrick Mutswaletswale, Andrew Mandi (originally from Alexandra township), and Humbalani Tshifihiwa Mlaudzi of Thohoyandou. They were killed on August 30, 1983 at Tshipise location.
On Wednesday, 10 December, the team will start work on the exhumation of seven more bodies buried at Thokoto farm near Louis Trichardt. Five of them were killed by members of the Security Branch on August 23, 1988 near Motale River in the Messina district. The seven were: Daniel Nkabinde, Oupa Lukele, Ruben Lutsile, Knganganni Ramyaoa, Mlungsi Velapi, Alfred Nkosi and Abram More.
A PAC/Apla cadre was buried at the same site and will be exhumed if his relatives can be traced. He was killed in operations along with Mark Mkonto and Johannes Mkhatsani in September 1988.
Eighteen bodies of MK cadres have been exhumed so far this year after their unmarked or paupers' graves were located by the National Investigative Unit. Of these, six were in Kwazulu/Natal, four in the Free State and eight in the former Transvaal, mostly in the Northern Province and Mpumalanga.
TRC investigators are aware of several gravesites of Apla cadres, but have thus far been unable to trace their relatives to get permission for exhumation. We are appealing to the families of Apla cadres who went missing in operation, to contact the TRC to help with the location of their graves as well as possible assistance with reburial ceremonies. They can phone Captain Fanie Molapo of the TRC's Gauteng office - 011-333 6330.
Journalists wishing to cover the exhumations, can join the investigators at 10h00 am tomorrow at the Thohoyandou police station. Media can contact Mdu Lembede on 0824588464 or Christelle Terreblanche on 0824588461 for more information.