Truth and Reconciliation
VAN RENSBURG
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Willem du
Plessis Janse van Rensburg
On
16 March 2001 amnesty was granted to Mthetheli Zephania Mncube, Mzondeleli Euclid
Nondula and Jabulani Sydney Mbuli. They caused an explosion involving a vehicle,
registration number KDL 571 T, on the farm Overvlakte injuring Mr Willem du
Plessis Janse van Rensburg, committed at or near Messina on or about 12 December
1986.
Source
http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/proclamations/2002/proc51.html
Nicolaas
Jacobus Janse van Rensburg
Nicolaas Jacobus Van Rensburg, a Major in the then SAP and occupying the position
of branch commander of the Security Police stationed in Ermelo was granted amnesty
on 31 May 2001, for conspiracy to enter into South Africa to place an explosive
device on railway line at Mpaka, Swaziland between 1977 and 1979.
Van Rensburg approached his divisional commander and made representations for action to be taken against the ANC in Swaziland. Pursuant to this approach, Applicant was ordered to launch a covert operation in Swaziland in an attempt to discredit the ANC there and to cause the authorities in Swaziland to expel ANC members from the country.
On the day in question Van Rensburg and a number of his subordinates executed the operation in Swaziland by placing an explosive device on the railway line in question. The device was subsequently discovered by the Swazi Police who enlisted the assistance of the South African Police in defusing it. This request was communicated to Applicant who took the necessary steps to have one of his officers defuse the device. No injuries or damage resulted from the incident.
Source
http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/decisions/2001/ac21215.htm
General
Nicolaas Jacobus Janse van Rensburg
Gcinisizwe
Kondile a trained member of the military wing of the African National Congress
(ANC) was a close friend of Chris Hani.
Security
Branch of the South African Police at Port Elizabeth.
It was proposed to him that he become a "double agent" whereby he would inform the police of plans, identities of people and where they could be found and so forth. Despite initial resistance, he eventually agreed to do so. As a result, according to Du Plessis certain confidential and important informer networking information was divulged to the deceased in preparation for his new role as a double agent. The deceased was then still held at Jeffreys Bay so that the formal recruitment of the deceased as an informer could be processed and completed.
During one of the
subsequent visits to the deceased, Du Plessis, who was at the head of this particular
investigation, and while waiting in the cell for the deceased to return from
the shower, discovered a hand written document between the blankets on the bed
upon which the deceased slept. The document took the form of a letter or note
addressed to the ANC, and was designed to inform the ANC of the purported agreement
that he had entered into with Du Plessis. Du Plessis consulted with Janse van
Rensburg and Erasmus about what the next step would be in relation to the deceased's
position. They considered certain options but finally concluded that armed with
information which could lead to the collapse of the information system, the
deceased had to be eliminated.
Coetzee
claimed that General van Rensburg had told him personally that Kondile had suffered
severe brain damage while in security detention in police cells at Jeffreys
Bay, Eastern Cape and that police had decided to kill him and dispose of his
body to avoid another "Steve Biko affair". As a result, Dirk Coetzee
was contacted after which arrangements were made to eliminate the deceased.
Finally Du Plessis, van Rensburg and Raath kidnapped the deceased from the Eastern
Cape and took him to Komatipoort where they met Coetzee and Roy Otto. In a forest
like area near Komatipoort the gathered and had a braai and consumed liquor.
They shared this with the deceased save that his drink was treated with a substance
which would make him sleep. When he did eventually sleep, Roy Otto shot him.
Thereafter his body was burnt on 26 June 1981.
The commision found
that the SAP were responsible for the abduction and killing of political activists
in the Eastern Cape— including Mr Gcinisizwe Kondile
who was abducted and killed by Mr Dirk Johanes Coetzee, Mr Nicholas Ranse van
Rensburg, Mr Gerrit Erasmus, Mr Hermanus Barend du Plessis and Mr Johannes Raath
on 26 june 1981;
Amnesty was granted on 23 February 1999, to retired generals Nic van Rensburg,
Gerrit Erasmus, Captain Hermanus du Plessis and Inspector Johannes Raath for
the murder of Kondile.
Source
http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/pr/1999/pr0223b.html
Colonel Nicolaas van Rensburg
In January 1997, amnesty applications regarding the deaths of Mthimkulu and Madaka were received from Port Elizabeth Security Branch officer Gideon Nieuwoudt, Colonel Nicolaas Van Rensburg, Major Hermanus Barend Du Plessis and Colonel Gerrit Erasmus. At a press conference in Port Elizabeth on 28 January 1977, it was revealed that the bodies of Mthimkulu and Madaka had been burnt and their remains thrown into the Fish River near the disused Post Charmers police station near Cradock. The Commission took the families to the site of the killings and disposal of the bodies. At the amnesty hearings later, the security police admitted to having abducted and killed the two activists, but they denied all knowledge of torture and poisoning. Mr Siphiwe Mthimkulu and Mr Topsy Madaka who were abducted and killed by Mr Gideon Nieuwoudt, Mr Nicholas janse van Rensburg, Mr Gerrit Erasmus, Mr Hermanus Barend du Plessis, Mr Jan van den Hoven and Mr Jan du Preez.
Amensty was granted by the TRC on 6 March 2000 to four senior security policemen, Major General Nicolaas Van Rensburg, Major Hermanus Barend Du Plessis, Colonel Gerrit Erasmus and officer Gideon Niewoudt, for the death of Congress of South African Student (Cosas) leader activists Siphiwo Mthimkulu and Topsy Madaka in April 1992
In January
1997, the Commission received amnesty applications from members of the Port
Elizabeth security police for the killing of the ‘Cradock Four’.
The UDF activists known as the ‘Cradock Four’ were Mr Matthew
Goniwe, Mr Sparrow Mkonto, Mr Fort Calata
, and Oudtshoorn activist Mr Sicelo Mhlauli. They were abducted
and assassinated outside Port Elizabeth on 27 June 1985. Those who applied for
amnesty were Mr Eric Alexander Taylor, Mr Hermanus Du Plessis, Mr Nicolaas Jacobus
Janse van Rensburg, Mr Harold Snyman, Ms Gerhardus Johannes Lotz and Ms Johan
Martin ‘Sakkie’ van Zyl . It was revealed that the car in which
the four were travelling was intercepted at the Oliphantshoek pass. The four
were shot or stabbed, and their bodies mutilated, before being dumped in the
veld near Port Elizabeth.
Sources
http://www.news24.com/Content_Display/TRC_Report/1chap7.htm
http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/pr/2000/pr0306c.html
http://www.news24.com/Content_Display/TRC_Report/3chap2.htm
Nicolaas
Jacobus Janse van Rensburg
The applicant testified that General van Rensburg instructed Colonel Eugene
de Kock (Of Vlakplaasfontein) to see to the elimination of Brian Ngqulunga (he
was murdered 19 July 1990). De Kock then instructed Colonel Dave Baker to carry
out the killing. Baker ordered the applicant, Captain Bellinghan, Lieutenant
Piet Botha and Simon Radebe to carry out the operation.
Source
http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/proclamations/2000/proc061.html
Jan Willem
Janse van Rensburg
A
security force member Jan Willem Janse van Rensburg was granted amnesty by the
TRC in 2001 for offences directly associated with the unlawful military training
of members of the Inkatha Freedom Party at Entebene in 1993. Jan Willem Janse
van Rensburg granted amnesty in 2001
Source
http://196.14.83.2/briefing/nw20010511/14.html