Issued by: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
14 June 2001
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Amnesty Committee announced that seven security police operatives were granted amnesty for various offences committed during their fight to defend the state.
A security policeman, Paul Erasmus was granted amnesty for the malicious damage to the properties of Helen Joseph, Ann Hughes, assault committed on Deepak Madhav, conspiring to kill Goodman Mogami and was refused amnesty for malicious damage to the property of Cathy Satchwell and for arson and malicious damage to the Alexandria Health Clinic between 1977 and 1989.
Zeerust security policeman Phillip Crause was granted amnesty for rendering assistance to a group of his colleagues to enter Botswana with a purpose of eliminating members of the African National Congress between 1971 and 1986. Nicolaas Van Rensburg was granted amnesty for conspiracy to enter into South Africa to place an explosive device on railway line at Mpaka, Swaziland between 1977and 1979.
Izak Bosch was granted amnesty for applying a chemical substance to the motor vehicle of Dick Coetzee, dispatching a radio bomb to PAC member in Lusaka, Zambia in 1986. Bosch was also granted amnesty for the destruction of documents at Vlakplaas during the term of office of the Harms Commission of Enquiry.
Christoffel Mosiane a member of the Nelspruit security branch, assisted by a group of Vlakplass operatives was granted amnesty for petrol bombing a green motor vehicle, a house belonging to a trade union activist in the rural areas of Nelspruit in 1888. Micheal Bellingan was also granted amnesty for damaging property of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, arson at Wits media resource centre, damage to properties of activists, burning a lawyer's car and for the blackmailing of a journalist.
A Durban security police member, Johannes Steyn, was granted amnesty for the acquisition of silencers and pistols for cross border operations against the ANC in Swaziland and tempering weapons in the ANC arms caches between 1986 and 1989 in the Natal region.
Meanwhile Thami Madlala a Self Defence Unit member in Thokoza, was granted amnesty for the murder of Glen Thompson and for the attempted murder of Sydney Gehlig and for possession of unlawful firearms. Donald Gold a member of the security police was refused amnesty for an operation to capture a known ANC operative in Swaziland
The committee pointed out that Gold in his amnesty application indicated that his involvement in the incident was not an unlawful or criminal. Another security police member, Douw Willemse was also refused amnesty for submitting fraudulent claims and the money was used to facilitate the work of the security police
The committee found that Willemse's application did not comply with the requirements of the act.
Phila Ngqumba 021- 4238741 / 4245161