Issued by: TRC
18 May 1999
One of the highly publicised trials in this country's judicial history relating to apartheid repression will come under the spotlight before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's amnesty committee in Bloemfontein early next week.
An African National Congress member, Justice Bekebeke, now serving life sentence is applying for amnesty for his role in the brutal murder of a municipal policeman at the height of political repression in Upington, Northern Cape in November 1985. The policeman, Lucas Tshenolo Sethwala, was murdered in front of his home at Paballelo township after he had allegedly fired a shot at a group of toyi-toying residents wounding an 11 year old boy David Visagie. He was later attacked by the irate residents and stoned to death and his body set alight.
Bekebeke and 13 of his accomplice were later convicted of murder and 12 others acquitted in a trial which ran for almost 18 months. Among the defence team was the slain Swapo activist Anton Lubowski who was assassinated in Namibia by the former apartheid government's shadowy Covert Co-operation Bureau while the trial was still proceeding.
In a separate matter, three men claiming to be members of the Pan Africanist Congress, Thembinkosi Ngubeni, Trevor Masilo and Edwin Thozamile Silemane are also seeking amnesty for their role in a cash-in transit-heist in Cleveland, Johannesburg in September 1991. Two accomplice David Williams and Moses Manuel and a guard were fatally wounded in ensuing exchange of gunfire with the security guards. The robbers managed to escape with an undisclosed amount of cash. Attempts by the TRC to trace the whereabouts of the guard's next of kin have drawn a blank.
Ngubeni is also seeking amnesty for attempting to escape while in prison in July 1993. The men are serving 28 years sentence for the incident.
According to the law governing the operations of the TRC, victims, their next of kin or any other interested party have the right to attend the hearing, adduce evidence and be legally represented.The hearing will take place at Anglican Church Hall, corner of St George's and Salzmann Streets, Bloemfontein from Monday May 24 to Friday 28.
Media inquiries : Vuyani Green, 082 452 7858.