Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
February 9, 1998
Amnesty has been granted to a commander of the Boerekommando (Boer Commando) who bombed the Melkrivier Primary School in the Vaalwater district during January 1992.
Carel Willem Andries van der Merwe (46) of Grootvlei near Pretoria also received amnesty in relation to the illegal possession of explosives at the time. Nobody was injured in the attack, but damage to the entrance and offices of the school was estimated at R12,000.
The amnesty was granted in chambers as the bombing did not involve any gross human rights violations as defined by the act governing the TRC.
Van der Merwe said in his application he was ordered to carry out the attack by a Boerekommando superior at Hendrina during December 1991. His political objective was to overthrow the government of former President FW de Klerk and he said he carried out the attack to place pressure on the government not to open the school to black pupils.
The applicant was due to stand trial for an act of terrorism and illegal possession of explosives last year in Middelburg.
The full text of the application is available on request from the Cape Town offices of the TRC - phone Odile Pearce at 021-24-5161.
Media can phone Christelle Terreblanche for more information - 082- 458-8461.