The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is guilty of discrimination if it does not prosecute the 37 African National Congress leaders who were refused amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), but continues to prosecute other citizens, says the Freedom Front Plus.
The NPA’s alleged reason for not prosecuting — that, according to their collective application, not one of the individuals had committed an act for which amnesty should be granted and no deeds nor any offences or confessions were made — indicated all other applicants should also be exempted from prosecution, FF+ spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said on Thursday.
”South Africa must declare collective amnesty, to deal with the unsettled cases. There is no other way.
”How would the FF+ propagate reconciliation for the next 10 years while selective prosecution of members of only one side of the conflict continues to take place?
”ANC leaders might still escape prosecution by the prosecuting authority, but civil claims against them remain a possibility,” he said in a statement.
Before the TRC process started, more than 20 000 ANC supporters received indemnity from the previous National Party government.
This was the result of ANC demands during the negotiation process. The majority of the 7 000 applications before the TRC amnesty commission therefore came from members of the previous security forces.
Six thousand of these applicants did not receive amnesty. This indicated the court cases, which would now follow, would mainly be against members of only one side of the struggle of the past.
”This situation strengthens the image of black people being the victors and white people the permanent losers. This betrays the principle of reconciliation,” Groenewald said. — Sapa