AC/2001/150

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION

AMNESTY COMMITTEE

APPLICATION IN TERMS OF SECTION 18 OF THE PROMOTION OF NATIONAL UNITY AND RECONCILIATION ACT NO. 34 OF 1995.

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JACOBUS CHRISTOFFEL KENNARD ERASMUS

(AM6353/97) APPLICANT

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DECISION

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The Applicant applies for amnesty in respect of an incident involving a bomb explosion at or near the Sat River Civic Centre, Cape Town during the period 1987 - 1988.

The Applicant, at the time of the incident, was a member of the Special Forces Unit of the South African Defence Force. He was called in by a General Joubert and Commandant Dawid Fourie and in the presence of a certain Sakkie van Zyl instructed to assist in placing and detonating a bomb at the aforesaid community centre. He personally transported the bomb to Cape Town. The bomb was detonated and caused damage to the building. Nobody was killed or injured.

The bomb was intended to disrupt the activities of activists of the African National Congress and members of uMkhonto weSizwe who were believed to have gathered at the Centre on a regular basis. it was also intended to demotivate the aforesaid activists in their political struggle against the then South African Government.

The Committee, after having considered the application and further particulars furnished by the Applicant is satisfied that the Applicant has complied with the formal requirements for amnesty. The Committee is further satisfied that the act or offence/s applied for was an act or offence associated with a political objective in the course of the political conflicts of the past and that the Applicant has made a full disclosure of all relevant facts.

Accordingly, amnesty is GRANTED to the Applicant for all acts and offences directly associated with the transportation and detonation of a bomb at the Community Centre in Salt River, Cape Town during or about 1987/88.

DATED AT CAPE TOWN THIS DAY OF 2001.

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