Thirty-nine years after political activist, Jameson Ngoloyi Mngomezulu, was kidnapped and murdered, four men were indicted for his murder in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court last week.
The four accused - Gerhardus Stephanus Schoon, 82, Paul Jacobus van Dyk, 76, Frederick Johannes Pienaar, 77, and Douw Gerbrandt Willemse, 63 - were charged with the kidnapping and murder of Mr Mngomezulu, in June 1985. Mr Mngomezulu, a South African citizen, resided in the Oshabeni area, in Ingwavuma and the Elubulwini area in Swaziland.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Ms Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Mr Mngomezulu was a political activist and a cadre of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
“Due to his political activism, Mr Mngomezulu was harassed by members of the security forces who would continuously raid his places of residence. Sometime in June 1985, during one of these raids, he was captured from his Swaziland residence, tortured, and forcibly brought back to South Africa,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
“He was held captive, assaulted, tortured, and eventually killed, and his body was dismembered using explosives at Sodwana Bay. The state is alleging that Schoon and his co-assailants together with Askaris and other members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), acted collectively in the commission of these offences.”
She that added that, at the time of the commission of these offences, Mr Schoon was the commander of the Jozini Security Branch of the SAPS, Mr Van Dyk and Mr Willemse were members of the Security Branch of the SAPS based in Vlakplaas and Mr Pienaar was a member of the Security Branch based in Piet Retief.
Ten Security Branch operatives, including the commanding officer of Vlakplaas and the commander of the Piet Retief Security Branch, applied for amnesty. Of these, seven applications were granted and three, those currently on trial, were refused. Mr Willemse did not appear before the TRC.
“In court last week, the indictment was served on the legal representatives for Schoon and Van Dyk, as Pienaar and Willemse were not in court. While the legal representative for Pienaar handed in a medical certificate to the court, explaining Pienaar’s absence, no reason was given for Willemse’s absence. Warrants of arrests were then authorised. The warrant of arrest for Pienaar was stayed but the warrant of arrest for Willemse was issued forthwith,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
The matter was postponed to April 18, to finalise issues of legal representation.
– Additional reporting by IOL