Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
April 1, 1998
The Amnesty Committee of he Truth and Reconciliation Commission is publishing advertisements in a number of South African newspapers tomorrow and Friday notifying victims of nearly 50 bombings and "hit squad" attacks of their right to participate in forthcoming amnesty hearings.
The Committee has placed two advertisements:
- One aimed at victims of 18 bombings carried out by amnesty applicants declaring allegiance to the ANC. The incidents named including bombings at Church Street in Pretoria, Ellis Park Rugby Stadium, the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, Witwatersrand Command Irish Regiment and the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court, as well as attacks on Sasol I, Sasol II and Voortrekkerhoogte.
- A second aimed at victims of 30 attacks carried out by amnesty applicants declaring allegiance to the Inkatha Freedom Party. The incidents cited include attacks on homes, villages, buses or bus stops and a shebeen in various places in kwaZulu/Natal, including Simatingi in Pietermaritzburg, Mpumalanga, Mandeni, Esikhawini, Claremont and Makhandleleni.
The Amnesty Committee explained in its notice that although the TRC had contact with a number of victims, and was continuing with efforts to trace all of them, many had changed addresses or could not be traced through official records.
Victims have the right, under the law governing the TRC's operations, to attend a hearing, to be legally represented and to testify, to adduce evidence and submit documents or articles to be taken into consideration.
They have been asked in the advertisement to contact the Executive Secretary of the committee at PO Box 3162 Cape Town 8000, or fax him at Cape Town 22-2221.
Inquiries: John Allen, 082- 452-7859