PAC leader adamant will not apply for pardon

Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) President Letlapa Mphahlele says he will not apply for a presidential pardon. President Thabo Mbeki announced the pardons for political offences in Parliament last year.

Only those who were convicted for political crimes committed before June 16, 1999 are being considered.

Mphahlele refused to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for allegedly ordering the St. James's church massacre. Mphahlele insists he did nothing wrong.

Mid-April deadline
The process, which could bring freedom to hundreds of political prisoners languishing in South Africa's jails, is underway. The Presidential Pardons Reference group has been formally constituted and had its first meeting with President Thabo Mbeki last week.

The group, made up of representatives from across the political spectrum, will assist the Mbeki in deciding who receives pardons.

Chairperson of the Reference Group and Democratic Alliance MP, Tertius Delport, says they will have to discuss and set their own procedures and criteria for testing what would be a political offence or politically-motivated offence.

Delport says they will have in-depth discussions and set the criteria before they start with evaluating the applications themselves but will have to reach consensus on how they are going to do it, what the criteria will be and how to proceed.

Amnesty applicants refused by the TRC would not qualify. Applicants have until mid-April to submit their requests.