DA councillor faces suspension for 'Trojan Horse' shooting

Cape Town - A Western Cape DA councillor, who allegedly failed to declare his involvement in a shooting of anti-apartheid protesters over 30 years ago, has until 5pm to tell the party why he should not be suspended.

Former commander in the SA Defence Force, Sam Pienaar, has been a councillor in Cape Town since 2011. He heads sub-council 6, which included parts of Bellville, Belhar, and Bishop Lavis.

The 73-year-old was allegedly present at the planning of the Trojan Horse shooting in October 1985 (see transcript of his TRC testimony here).

He could not be reached for comment.

The Cape Times reported on Monday that he was part of planning the operation.

On October 15, railway police hid themselves in crates on the back of an SA Railways truck that drove down Thornton Road, Athlone. Officers emerged from the crates and opened fire at protesters who had been pelting it with stones.

Jonathan Claasen, 21, Shaun Magmoed, 15, and Michael Miranda, 11, were killed and several others injured.

They did the same thing in Crossroads the next day, killing Mabhuti Fatman, 20, and Mengxwane Mali, 19.

DA Western Cape spokesperson Liza Albrecht said Pienaar was served with a letter of intent to suspend him on Friday, giving him 24 hours to respond. He asked for, and was given, an extension until 17:00 on Monday.

Albrecht said Pienaar had not declared his involvement with the unit when he was interviewed for a position in the party.

If the party’s provincial executive council was happy with his explanation, he would remain a councillor. Otherwise he would be suspended and could lose his council seat. A disciplinary committee investigation would immediately follow the suspension.

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.