Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
DECEMBER 3 1998
The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission today refused amnesty to a member of the Pan Africanist Congress for the murder of three people at Cross Roads near Cape Town in 1993.
Ntombizodwa Joslina Elles, Sincilo Pauli and Timothy Soga were killed and Tienne Elles and Ayanda Ndinisa were injured when armed men burst into their home and sprayed them with automatic gunfire at House 2210, Old Cross Roads on March 19 1993.
Mandla Maduna, now serving a lengthy prison term at Victor Verster Prison in Paarl, was nabbed by the police minutes after the attack in possession of an Uzzi sub-machine gun and a number of rounds of ammunition. However, his accomplice managed to escape.
Maduna claimed at his amnesty hearing that as members of the PAC's Task Force, they were instructed by the organisation to attack the home as it was occupied by members of a gangster group which was attacking PAC members in the area.
In its decision, the committee said: "Tragically, the victims and occupants were not members of a gangster group as (the) applicant had been told. They were civilians who included women and children who were watching TV. They had no quarrel whatsoever with the PAC (and) there is no evidence that they were involved in any political organisation."
The committee also expressed concern at Maduna's stated motive for the attack and his claim that he was a member of the PAC.
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