PRESSER: MANDELA, BORRAINE & VILJOEN re: Extension of deadline for amnesty applications & cut-off date for amnesty

Record ID: 893512

  • Title: PRESSER: MANDELA, BORRAINE & VILJOEN re: Extension of deadline for amnesty applications & cut-off date for amnesty
  • Date: 13th December 1996
  • Summary: PRESSER: MANDELA, BORRAINE & VILJOEN re: Extension of deadline for amnesty applications & cut-off date for amnesty
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  • City: PRETORIA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: 96DEC13R01
  • Story Text:PRESSER: MANDELA & COMMISSIONER DR ALEC BORRAINE & GENERAL CONSTAND VILJOEN [LEADER FREEDOM FRONT] re: Extension of deadline for submission of amnesty applications from 14/12/96 to 10/05/97 and cut-off date for amnesty from 6/12/93 to 10/05/94

    02.36.41 TAKING SEATS
    02.38.30 READING STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF MANDELA - HAD DISCUSSION WITH BORRAINE & VILJOEN REGARDING 2 CUT-OFF DATES - DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF AMNESTY APPLICATION TO THE TRC CURRENTLY = 14/12/96 - THE CUT-OFF DATE FOR THE PERIOD WHITHIN PUNISHABLE POLITICAL ACTS CAN QUALIFY FOR AMNESTY = 6/12/93
    02.39.39 PRESIDENT HAS IN PAST STATED THAT BOTH THESE DATES SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED
    02.41.04 ...the President has decided to extend the date for amnesty applications to the TRC from midnight tomorrow to the 10 May 1997...
    02.41.30 ...has also decided to acceed to the request by the TRC Freedom Front & others...to extend the cut-off date for the period in which political acts can be considered ellible for amnesty. This will be extended to the 10 May 1994...
    02.44.22 GENERAL CONSTAND VILJOEN: On the very first day when the president & myself met to start our bilateral discussions on the issue of relations between the president's constituency and mine, we had come to an agreement that we will try to find ways in which the problems of the Afrikaner & the problems of the Africans can be merged and how we can find solutions for the differences between us...
    02.44.50 I was very concerned in all my efforts to have the dates shifted that the president remained so firm against it and therefore it adds to my delight today to say thank you very much Mr President. This has now open the way for...some of my followers...to partcipate and be part of the amnesty provisions of the Constitution which does solve a lot of problems because if the alternative would come into force and that is prosecutions and jailing people...then it would certainly have been amajor concern to all of us.
    02.45.32 So thank you very Mr President that you have now at theend given in. We really appreciate that.
    02.45.57 DR ALEC BORRAINE COMMENTING
    02.48.03 MANDELA: If I had to decide the matter myself, I would have stuck to my decision & refused any request for an extension either of the cut-off date or the of making applications for amnesty because in my view that would send a wrong message all together.
    02.48.33 The critical issue here, we have been negotiating especially since 1990 and people who committed offences after the start of negotiations, to me were not at all entitled to considerations. They had to accept that they had done things especially after the cut-off date on the 6/12/ where there was no possibility whatsoever of them applying for amnesty,
    02.49.15 ...we are dealing with leaders who have played a very important if not crucial role in bringing about reconciliation in this country and also influencing certain elements away from what they were planning.
    02.49.39 We have been able to avoid here a situation like Bosnia; we have avoided this because of the co-operation of leaders from a wide range of political affiliations...especially general Viljoen..
    02.50.04 ...I could therefore not continue to ignore his persistent appeals to me that I should take this step.
    02.50.32 You can put any lable you want on it - the point is that I have agreed [PRESS FUNNIES]
    02.50.55 VILJOEN STATING THAT HE WILL APPLY FOR AMNESTY REGARDING ACTS OF RESISTANCE THAT WE PLANNED BEFORE 1994 ELECTIONS
    02.51.32 WILL WORK WITH TRC REGARDING CROSS-BORDER RAIDS - A LOT OF CONFUSION AMONGST OLD DEFENCE FORCE MEMBERS
    02.52.41 BORRAINE...we have resisted the path of amnesia...and the path of mass prosecutions...to give amnesty is an act of pardon and I can well understand why victims & survivors feel quite strongly that we are giving more attention to the perpetrators
    raher than to themselves...
    02.54.40 WIDE ESTABLISHER
    02.55.32 CUTAWAYS
    02.55.54 END PRESSER
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