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The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Amnesty Committee, today granted amnesty to former head of the Vlakplaas Unit, Eugene de Kock,, for four incidents involving conspiracy to murder ANC member Solly Shoke in Swaziland, the abduction, assault, killing and disposing of the body of an ANC activist, Patrick Mahlangu, and also the disposing of the body of Welcome Khanyile in August 1992 in Heidelberg.

De Kock was also granted amnesty for conspiring to murder for unknown ANC members in 1980 in Pietersburg and Manzini in Swaziland. Granted amnesty for these offences are De Kock, Izak Bosch, Jacobus Kok, Leon Flores and Wybrand Du Toit

De Kock, Marthinus Ras, Nicholaas Vermeulen, Hendrick Prisnloo, Adriaan Roslee Smuts Mathebula and Gaboutlwelwe Mosiane applied for amnesty for killing and for the disposal of Mahlangu's body.

Also granted amnesty by the Committee are former members of the security police, Eric Goosen, Paul Erasmus and Gary Pollock. The three applicants applied for amnesty for the harassment of Dr. Beyers Naude, Gavin Anderson, Shanty Naidoo, Dr Liz Floyd and for malicious damage to property.

Also granted amnesty are eight former members of the security police for killing Casius Nceba, Richard Ngwenya and Bheki Khumalo who were Umkhonto We Sizwe cadres.

The applicants are Antonio Olifant, Mokele Lengene, Sarel Nienaber, Daniel Steenberg, Linda Moni, Anton Pretorius, Jakobus Kok and Jacob Francois Kok. The Committee found that all applicants have met the requirements of the Act in that they made full disclosure and their acts had a political motive.

Contact: Phila Ngqumba on (021) 423 8741/ 424 5161

Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 23 January 2001