Special Report Transcript Episode 50, Section 6, Time 23:28

Eight years ago two men broke a long conspiracy of silence and exposed the apartheid state’s death commandoes. It was going to cost them dearly. Two weeks ago a Durban judge found Dirk Coetzee and Almond Nofemela, together with David Tshikalanga guilty of the murder they had confessed to in 1989, that of lawyer and activist Griffiths Mxenge. One of the killers, Joe Mamasela was the state’s star witness, but the judge rejected his evidence and convicted the men purely on their own confessions of eight years ago. If they had been prepared to deny their confessions now they would have been free men today. The irony doesn’t end there. The three men were among the first to apply for amnesty from the Truth Commission and their applications have been heard months ago. Controversial Attorney-General; Tim McNally has not given a satisfactory explanation why he forced the expensive trial to go ahead before the amnesty decision. McNally has also not explained why the three men who confessed to their part in the murder were the only ones found guilty and those who denied their role until today were used as state witnesses or set free. We ask mister Chris de Jager of the Amnesty Committee if they were likely to decide on the amnesty applications before the men get sentenced in mid-June.

Notes: Max du Preez

References: there are no references for this transcript