Petrus Nzima Nyawose and his Wife Jabu Brutally Murdered
On 5 June 1982, The New York Times newspaper published an article that on 4 June 1982, Petrus “Nzima” Nyawose was driving with his wife Jabu when they were killed in a car bomb explosion outside their flat in Matsapha, near Manzini, Swaziland. Two passengers in the car, Thokozane Mkhize and Siphiwe Mngomezulu, were seriously injured. The explosion and murder of their parents was witnessed by the Nyawose’s three children.
This incident happened the day after Nzima had met with Ronnie Kasrils the night before, on 3 June 1983, to discuss the increasing harassment of undercover African National Congress (ANC) operatives by the Swazi Police. Actually, Swaziland had begun hardening its attitude towards the Movement’s cadres following the signing of a secret South Africa-Swaziland security agreement on 12 February 1982, which was endorsed by Swazi Prime Minister Mabandla Fred Dlamini in a letter sent to apartheid Prime Minister P.W. Botha on 17 February 1982.
Intelligence-gathering and surveillance for the assassination was done by Dirk Coetzee, Almond Nofemela and David Tshikilange for which they applied for amnesty from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). According to Eugene de Kock, the murder of the couple was authorised by Brigadier Willem Schoon. The operation was performed by the then commander of Vlakplaas, Captain Jan Coetzee, assisted by Colonel Paul Hattingh of the Police’s Explosives D
