Matheus Gideon Palvie

Matheus Gideon Palvie (1923 - 1987)

Brief overview:

Matheus (63), the farm foreman at the farm Leeukop outside Cradock, and his wife, Janetta Johanna Palvie (54), were ambushed and attacked on 5th February 1987. Matheus was stabbed and then beaten to death. Janetta was hit over the head with a hammer. She was hit so hard that a fragment of her skull was found on the floor next to her. She only died of her injuries six weeks later

Extract from the Politics Web Report.

"On the 5th of February 1987 four members of a Cradoya armed unit went to the farm Leeukop outside Cradock, where one of their fathers worked as the foreman, under instructions to go and “disarm” the “Boers”. The farm was owned by a Mr Boy Jordaan but the farm house was occupied by Matheus Gideon Palvie, 63, who acted as the overseer, and his wife Jeanette Johanna Palvie, 54. While the Palvies drove into town on the 6th the group broke into the house and loaded up goods in two suitcases. The group then waited for the Palvies to return.

Two members of the group armed themselves with a knife and a hammer found in the house and then ambushed the couple as they entered their home. Mr Palvie was first stabbed and then beaten to death. His wife was hit over the head with a hammer so hard that a fragment of her skull was found on the floor next to her by the police. She only died of her wounds sometime later. The appeal court described the murder as a “coolly planned, premeditated attack” committed with “horrifying savagery” against a “solitary couple, well advanced in years.” The assailants then escaped in the couple’s vehicle with the stolen goods, including a small pistol and a rifle, but were arrested shortly after. No political motive was detected at the time of the prosecution and conviction, though it was later disclosed before (and accepted by) an amnesty panel at the TRC."

"Amnesty is therefore REFUSED on counts 1 and 4.

2. That the applicants believed, albeit mistakenly, that Mr Palvie, was an opponent in the political struggle and he, in the process of obtaining weapons from him, was attacked, resisted their efforts and was killed. Amnesty is GRANTED to them in respect of the murder of Mr Palvie.

3. That the murder of Mrs Palvie was disproportionate to the objective of stealing the weapons. That no evidence exists that she was a political opponent in any way involved in the struggle, that she was already rendered harmless, when she was killed and that she was killed out of malice. Amnesty is REFUSED in respect of the murder of Mrs Palvie.

Amnesty is GRANTED in respect of counts 5 to 8."

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)
  • In January 2002, the then president, Thabo Mbeki released 33 Eastern Cape prisoners: "Vigilantes convicted for mob killings, and a former Ciskei strongman and a bantustan headman are among the 33 Eastern Cape prisoners pardoned by President Thabo Mbeki on Monday, the Daily Dispatch reported on Tuesday. The released prisoners were mostly African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) members who were pardoned after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) refused them amnesty. Most failed to satisfy the TRC’s conditions for amnesty, including having a political motive for their offences. The Justice Ministry on Tuesday maintained its refusal to release the names, saying that doing so could jeopardise the safety of those released."
  • Eric Khundulu, who applied for amnesty for killing Cradock farmers Matheus and Jeanette Palvie in February 1987 was granted amnesty for Mr Palvie’s killing but refused amnesty for Mrs Palvie’s killing, housebreaking and robbery.
• https://archive.is/FOkfI

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Monwabisi Khundulu and Nzemeni Danster
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • The two appellants and two other persons were charged with housebreaking with intent to rob and murder with aggravating circumstances, robberý, and two counts of murder, together with certain other offences not relevant to this appeal.
  • The first appellant Monwabisi Khundulu was Accused No 1 at the trial and the second appellant Nzemeni Danster was Accused No 4. I shall refer to them as Accused No 1 and Accused No 4 respectively. Each of them was found guilty as charged.
  • Each of them was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment on the housebreaking with intent charge and 20 years' imprisonment on the robbery charge, such sentences to run concurrently.
  • Each of them was sentenced to death on each of the murder charges, the trial court having found that there were no extenuating circumstances.
  • Acccused No 2 at the trial was also found guilty on these charges but the trial court found that his age at the time when the offences were committed constituted an extenuating circumstance and there is no appeal in his case.
  • Accused No 3 was discharged after the defence case had closed.
  • The appeals of both the appellants against their convictions and sentences were dismissed

Additional Biographical Information:

• Identity Number : 2309025009088
• Official cause of death : under investigation

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.is/LCL8j
• https://archive.is/9ury0
• https://archive.ph/Aikkm (Court document)