Prisoners granted amnesty named

By Denver Donian and Louise Flanagan

EAST LONDON -- The 33 prisoners granted special presidential amnesty include ANC and PAC members, former Ciskei strongman Kwane Sebe and a Ciskei headman.

Many were previously refused amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Seven are members of the PAC's armed wing Apla: Dumisani Ncamazana; Zama Thutha; Luvuyo Kulman; Patrick Hadebe; Mabandla Mavundla; Mncedisi Siko; and Pakamile Cishe.

Ncamazana was jailed for 16 years for three unsuccessful attacks during 1994 and was later charged with killing three Baha'i Faith members in Mdantsane in March 1994.

He escaped from Middledrift Prison in 1996 but was later caught.

The TRC granted him amnesty for various attacks.

Thutha and Kulman were refused TRC amnesty for the August 1993 killing in Transkei of Elliot farmer Michael Meyers and his daughter Donné.

Hadebe was granted amnesty for possession of weapons, but refused amnesty for unspecified murders due to lack of information.

The TRC refused amnesty jointly to 12 others for killing four gangsters in Mdantsane's NU1 in February 1987.

The 12, members of the Mdantsane Residents' Association, aligned to the ANC, took the gangsters to a scrapyard, beat and burned them.

The 12 are: Bonakele Jwambi, Luyanda Kana, Mzwabantu Katsikatsi, Mseki Mbusi, B Petros, Xolile Edgar Nkukwana, Mandlenkosi Jakavu, Mbuyiselo Klaas, Monwabisi Kana, Mabongo Jamela, Thando Kana and Soyiso Zuzani.

They were refused amnesty on the grounds that their actions were not politically motivated, but were motivated by revenge.

Sebe was released on parole in 1999 after nine years of a 21-year sentence. The son of former Ciskei state president Lennox Sebe, he was the head of the Ciskei Police Elite Unit.

He was convicted of bombing properties of his former colleague.

Others pardoned are:

* Monwabisi Eric Khundulu, who applied for amnesty for killing Cradock farmers Matheus and Jeanette Palvie in February 1987. He was granted amnesty for Mr Palvie's killing but refused amnesty for Mrs Palvie's killing, housebreaking and robbery.

* SD Mahayiya, a headman in Ciskei, was refused amnesty for the killing of Nomutile Gangqa and the attempted killing of Champion Gangqa and Nozinzo Gangqa.

* Basayi Nxaleko Maqoko and Zwelenkosi Mjo, both Sada Youth Organisation members, were refused amnesty for the killing of Joseph Sebatana and his wife Jan Nomkhango Fuzani in January 1986 near Madakeni, on the grounds that it was not politically motivated or was disproportionate.

* MC Skoti, SP Mpambani, MG Sokoyi, NL Zibonda, W Faku, S Fanayo, X Faku, A Resha and M Mafa. They are not listed as having applied for amnesty through the TRC.

Daily Dispatch