Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
5 June 2001
AMNESTY DECISION
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Amnesty Committee today granted amnesty to a former senior officer of the South African security police, Willem Schoon for being an accessory after the facts to the murder of the Durban human rights lawyer, Griffiths Mxenge in November 1981.
Schoon was also granted amnesty for defeating the ends of justice by failing to disclose the information, perjury in respect of an affidavits deposed to for purpose of the McNally Commission of Inquiry and the Harms Commission Inquiry in 1989 and 1990 respectively.
Dirk Coetzee and Almond Nofemela were also granted amnesty for the murder of Mxenge. Schoon was further granted amnesty for conspiracy to murder for two unknown ANC operatives in 1972. Together with Schoon, Johannes Loots, Willem Crause, Johannes Smit, and Moses Modise were granted amnesty for the murder of Aaron Mkwanazi, Dadie Pule and a woman known as Matura in December 1986 in Ramotswe River in Botswana.
The committee found that the applicants have met the requirements of the act in that they made full disclosure and their acts had a political motive. Also granted amnesty were former security policemen, Nicolaas Vermeulen, Albertus Wandrag, Marthinus Strydom, Adriaan Dercksen, Daniel Le Roux, Johannes Vicktor, Frederik Nel, Gert Visser and Schalk Visser for the murders of a person known as MK Brown and MK George in Swaziland during 1981.
Two ANC members Joseph Koetle and Dick Hlongwane were granted amnesty for a car bomb incident at the Standard Bank Sport Arena and for robbery of a motor vehicle. Led by Vlakplaas Commander Eugene De Kock, Douw Willemse, Willem Coetzee, Daniel Syman, Larry Hanton, Hendrik Du Plessis, Deon Els, Willem Schoon , Gerrit Erasmus, Phineas Moshoaliba, Alfred Oosthuizen, Johannes Syman, Pieter Botha, Leon Flores, Johann Tait, Wilhelm Bellingan, Adrian Baker and Petrus Synders were granted amnesty for the murders of KP Shabangu, Thabo Mohale and Derik Mashobane in Swaziland during 1989 Meanwhile De Kock was further granted amnesty for supplying weapons to the Inkatha Freedom Party, arrest of Themba Khoza and supply of a motor vehicle to him, registration of IFP informers and for the supply of weapons to Victor Ndlovu. However De Kock was refused amnesty for supplying a motor vehicle to Victor Ndlovu.
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