Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
STATEMENT FROM THE TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has granted amnesty to Steven Vusumzi Dolo, an APLA cadre, for an attack on the Lady Grey Police Station in the Eastern Cape in January 1992.
Dolo, whose amnesty application was heard in Aliwal North in April this year, was jailed for the attempted murder of eight people. He told the hearing that he carried out the attack with Raymond Letlapa ("Happy") Mpahlele, the then director of operations of APLA, and a man identified only as Vuyisile, also a member and soldier of APLA.
Reaching its decision the Amnesty Committee panel said: "It is important to note here that the applicant who had received military training abroad under the auspices of APLA came from Katlehong and was a complete stranger in the area where these acts were carried out. It is quite clear that he had no personal motive or reason for coming to the Sterkspruit area (of he Eastern Cape), where he was deployed by his superiors to carry out the acts referred to above.
"It appears that he and Vuyisile had not even known each other until they came to stay together at Jozanashoek. It cannot be suggested that he and his colleague were on a frolic of their own. Although the applicant was at all material times receiving orders from Happy who used him to pursue what appears to have been the political agenda of APLA and the PAC, he acted voluntarily and has no regrets about having been involved in the said activities."
The Committee formally declared as victims Nonceba Mgojo and Nomonde Mbhasakhana, who were injured when the attackers attempted to rob them of their vehicle before the attack, and the following people who were present at the police station: Albertus Veldsman, Johannes Maartens, Rieta Maartens, Magrieta Roets, Nicolaas Roets and Stephanus Roets. The victims were referred to the Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee of the TRC.
(THE FULL TEXT OF THE DECISION IS AVAILABLE FROM ODILE PEARCE AT THE TRC OFFICES IN CAPE TOWN, 021- 24-5205.)