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16 January 2008

The Presidency wishes to announce the beginning of the period of applications for Presidential pardons for alleged political offences in accordance with President Thabo Mbeki's announcement in Parliament on 21 November 2007.

Prospective applicants have a three-month period from 15 January to 15 April 2008 to apply for pardons.

The Multi-Party Reference Group, which will consider applications for pardons and make recommendations to the President, will meet for the first time at the Union Buildings later this week.

As announced by the President, only those people who were convicted for political offences committed before 16 June 1999, will be considered for amnesty. On the other hand, people who have been convicted for sexual offences, domestic violence and any offence referred to in section 13 of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, 1992, or those whose applications for amnesty were refused by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Amnesty Committee do not qualify for amnesty.

For background information, please read President Mbeki's November 21, 2007 speech in Parliament on the Presidency website. The link for the speech is stated below:
http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/show.asp?type=sp&include=president/sp/2007/sp11211540.htm

Enquiries:
Mukoni Ratshitanga
Tel: 012 300 5436
Cell: 082 300 3447

Issued by: The Presidency
16 January 2008
Source: SAPA