Johannesburg - It’s been almost two weeks since Kenny Motsamai was released on a conditional day parole from Boksburg prison after spending 27 years in jail for the murder of a white North West traffic officer.
Yet in spite of his limited freedom, the former commander of the Azania People’s Liberation Army (Apla) seems to be dogged by controversy.
Shortly after his release last week, Motsamai was quoted in the Sowetan newspaper as saying he regretted killing the Rustenburg officer in a robbery that he said was sanctioned by the PAC.
The PAC also issued a statement in support of Motsamai’s assertions that the killing was an act of war.
In the interview with the daily paper, Motsamai said he was willing to meet with the man’s family to apologise for the “act of war”.
But on Friday, in an interview with The Sunday Independent, Motsamai backtracked, saying he would never apologise for killing the cop.
“I was misquoted. I would never, ever apologise for killing that white cop. Why must I regret or apologise? If he was the one who killed me, was he going to apologise to my family? It was war and I acted on the instruction I was given by my superiors to resist arrest by any oppressive apartheid forces.”
We visited Motsamai at his home in Katlehong on the East Rand to see how he spends his days outside prison.
One would have expected that, at 53, and after a 27-year spell in jail, he would be a bitter man. But Motsamai seems like a humble, handsome and well-groomed fellow the ladies would typically dub a six-pack hunk.
When asked what keeps him so fit and healthy, he said: “I don’t drink or smoke and I exercise daily. But now, with this (tracking) device on my ankle, it’s difficult for me to do my daily exercises.”
We spoke to him just after 8am at the Boksburg prison gate, while he was already waiting with two comrades in the car which takes him to his home in Katlehong and brings him back to jail in the afternoon.
While he was introducing us to his two comrades, Stanley Mthunzi and Xoli Manzingana, his tracking device started to beep, sending a message that he had violated his curfew conditions, yet he was less than 50 metres from the prison gates. He explained that it meant he was in an area in which he was not supposed to be.
“This device is faulty and I’ve reported it to the officials, but it keeps beeping every now and then, sending me messages that I am in an area where I’m not supposed to be. I am living like a dog with this thing (device),” he said.
Motsamai was arrested in Rustenburg in 1989 after taking part in an Apla mission to rob a supermarket.
Shortly afterwards, he and three of his comrades were cornered and arrested by the police after firing at and killing a traffic officer who had spotted the crime.
He was sentenced to death in 1991 but this was commuted to a life sentence after 1994. In 1993, he escaped from prison but later handed himself in.
Motsamai has been denied parole several times, but two weeks ago, after 27 years in jail, he was released on a conditional day parole.
Some of the parole conditions include leaving the prison at 8 o’clock in the morning and returning at 4pm, and wearing a tracking device at all times and not to travel beyond Katlehong.
When we arrived at his home at around 9.30am, we found his family and friends waiting outside. They started singing a religious song before praying.
The prayer was led by the Rev Dumisani Methula. After that, Motsamai told us that he and his family are religious people.
“Every day, before I enter the house, we sing and pray so that God can guide us. Without God I would not be alive to see this day.”
After the prayer, he went to check on his beloved grandchildren, Khayalethu, 5, and Lindokuhle, 8, who were playing with other children. Khayalethu wasn’t happy to see his grandfather, and when asked what was wrong he said: “You leave us every day and you don’t sleep at home.”
Motsamai then assured and consoled his grandson, telling him that one day things would be fine, once he is fully released from jail.
In spite of being a political activist, he is regarded as a humble and loving father by his family and friends.
His fiancèe of more than 27 years, Mantombi Magagula, 45, described him as a loving and helpful man.
After spending so many years in prison, what changes has he noticed since coming out of jail?
Motsamai replied that there were many things he’d seen, but the most amazing thing was the automated teller machine (ATM) and how it operates.
Judging from the throngs of people who came to say hello and shake his hands, it seems Motsamai’s work for the PAC is cut out for him.
The Sunday Independent