A man appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday, August 20 for the murder of the Cosas 4.The case was postponed to Monday, August 23.
Phindi Mjonondwane, the National Prosecuting Authority’s Regional spokesperson – Gauteng Local Division explained in a statement that the former Security Force Branch officer in the South African Police (SAP) appeared in court facing three counts of murder related to the murders of the so-called Cosas 4.
The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) was a popular national student movement that was active at secondary schools, and was associated with the ANC at the time.
On February 15, 1982 three Cosas supporters, Eustice ‘Bimbo’ Madikela, Ntshingo Mataboge (Matubane) and Fanyana Nhlapo were killed in an explosion at a pumphouse in Krugersdorp. Another man, Zandile Musi survived the attack.
“The accused was an askari (informant) and worked for the Security Force Branch against his former comrades in the African National Congress (ANC), whilst Musi was a member of Cosas.”
Before defecting to the Security Branch the accused and Musi’s older brothers served together in uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
Mjonondwane said Musi and the three deceased wanted to leave the country and join other ANC comrades in exile. But after the accused joined the South African Police (SAPS) he established contact with Musi.
“The latter explored the possibilities of leaving the country with the accused, whom he erroneously still regarded as a member of MK, unaware that the accused turned to become an askari.”
The accused was stationed at Vlakplaas, which was a secret security police base at the time.
“He was allegedly ordered by Jan Carel Coetzee, a commander at Vlakplaas to lure Musi and the other three to an explosive-infested pumphouse at a mine near Krugersdorp, under the guise of giving them military training.”
The plan was apparently that the men would then be killed in an explosion and the circumstances would make it seem that they blew themselves up while they were undergoing military training.
“The order to kill the students in this manner emanated from senior officers within the security branch, and was conveyed to Coetzee by his superior, Willem Frederick Schoon.”
The state alleges that on the day of the murders the accused had the students transported to the pumphouse by another askari, Joe Mamasela, who pretended to be a taxi driver.
“The arrangement was such that, once the students were inside the pumphouse, the accused would leave the pumphouse under the pretext of fetching more training equipment or hand grenades from the taxi they boarded to the pumphouse. The explosives would then be detonated once he was at a reasonable distance away from the pumphouse.”
The case was postponement to Monday, August 23 because the presiding judge was off due to ill health.
