Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has denied amnesty to nine of the fourteen former security policemen who had ambushed and killed six MK members near Alldays in the former Western Transvaal.
The committee has also granted amnesty to five of the policemen for their role in the killing of MK members in the Alldays matter.
The six MK members had just infiltrated the country and were being driven in a Kombi by a police informer, Maropeng Mathews Sehlwana from Botswana when they were ambushed.
Among those who's amnesty was denied include, Andries Johannes Erwee, Nicholas Stephanus Coetzee, Jacobus Petrus van der Berg, Willem Johannes van Dyk, Johannes Andries Strydom, Pieter Andries Dreyer, Willem Johannes van der Merwe, Josef Venter and Phillip Theunis Fourie. Their amnesty was denied in relation to making false affidavits in connection with the murders of Umkhonto we Sizwe members, namely, Lenepa Montgomery Moloi, Thlabane Rantho Mogashoa, Walter Titus Alset and three other unknown members. The six were killed on the road between Breslau and Alldays.
On the other hand, the committee has granted amnesty to four of the nine policemen for submitting false affidavits to the inquest proceeding in which they deliberately lied. The policemen are: A.J.G. Erwee, F.C.S. Swarts. P.A. Dreyer and J.H. Van Dyk.
According to the committee, "the false information was aimed at preventing the truth from coming out. There is no doubt that had the truth come out, the then government would have been politically embarrassed. We therefore find that whatever offence was committed, it was an act with a political objective".
On the same matter, amnesty has been granted to Maropeng Mathews Sehlwana, Paul Phillipus Francois Fuchs, Joachim Heinrich Kruger, Laurens Martin Pretorius and Frederick Christiaan Swarts for their role in the killing of the six MK members.
Committee members who presided on the matter were Judge Bernard Ngoepe, Sisi Khampepe and Chris De Jager. Full test of the decision is available.
For more information call Mbulelo Sompeta on : 082 452 7870.