Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
3 September 1998
The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is to hear applications for amnesty next week from four members of the Pan Africanist Congress relating to various armed attacks which claimed six lives, including those of two members of the former South African Police near Cape Town before 1994 elections.
Walter Tanda is seeking amnesty for three separate attacks in which a security guard was killed at a Khayelitsha railway station, two policemen on duty were killed and a police vehicle was ambushed, injuring one policeman in Khayelitsha in 1992. Tanda was granted amnesty recently for his role in the Crazy Beat Disco attack in Newcastle in 1992.
Andile Shiceka, also granted amnesty for the attack, is also applying for amnesty for his role in the Khayelitsha railway station attack and for an attack on a restaurant in Claremont in which several people were injured in December 1992.The victims of the Claremont attack were the owner of the restaurant Mr Malcolm Visser, Ms Lizette Theunissen, Mr Dennis Smith, Mr Jason Collie, Mr Allan Williams and Ms Amanda Warner.
Gcinikhaya Makoma is seeking amnesty for his role in the police ambush. Makoma was granted amnesty for his role in the 1993 St James Church massacre. The applicants could not give names of the victims of these attacks in their amnesty applications.
The last applicant, Mandla Maduna, who claims that he was a member of the PAC at the time, is applying for amnesty for killing three alleged gang members and injuring two others at Old Crossroads in March 1993. Maduna is serving 35 years imprisonment for the attack. The victims and the next of kin of the deceased have expressed their intention to oppose the application.
According to the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, victims and/or their next of kin or any interested party have the right to attend the hearing and be legally represented.
The hearing chaired by Judge Hassen Mall, will take place at the TRC offices at 106 Adderley Street, Cape Town from September 7 to 11.
Inquiries: Vuyani Green, 082-452-7858