Former apartheid askari Joseph 'Joe' Mamasela appears in court on 15 murder charges

Former apartheid Askari faces 15 murder charges in long-awaited TRC-linked case.

Former apartheid-era askaris Joseph “Joe” Mamasela, 74, and Michael “Tebogo” Macitinga, 66, appeared before the Benoni Regional Court on Wednesday, facing multiple serious charges linked to historic crimes stemming from investigations into Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) disclosures.

The pair are accused of 15 counts of murder, arson, kidnapping, unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as defeating or obstructing the administration of justice.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the charges arise from the Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Crimes Against the State probe, relating to three incidents identified as Operation Zero Zero, Nietverdiend 10 and the KwaNdebele 9.

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the investigation centres on allegations that “came out from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) relating to three incidents, Operation Zero Zero, Nietverdiend 10 and the KwaNdebele 9.”