OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 12.45PM.
THE four youths who murdered American exhange student Amy Biehl in 1993 have been granted amnesty in a unanimous decision by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s amnesty committee.
Pan Africanist Congress supporters Vusumzi Ntamo, Ntobeko Peni, Easy Mzikhona Nofemela and Mongezi Manqina, who were all aged between 18 and 22 at the time of Biehl’s killing, were convicted of murdering the Fulbright scholar and have been serving 18-year prison sentences. They will be released as soon as the correctional services department receives the relevant documentation.
Responding to the news, Biehl’s parents Peter and Linda, who live in California, described the truth commission’s amnesty process as “a unique experience for indivuduals and for South Africa as a nation”.
They added: “If amnesty is granted to individuals who have been imprisoned, it is essential for families and communities to support these individuals upon their release. In the cases of the four amnesty applicants in Amy’s murder, we hope they will receive the support necessary to live productive lives in a non-violent atmosphere. In fact, we hope the spirits of Amy and of those like her will be a force in their new lives.”