The Freedom Front Plus has come under fire for nominating William Harrington, a former police constable convicted of murdering an innocent teenager during the apartheid era, as its mayoral candidate for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Harrington was found guilty of murdering Mbongeni Jama in 1991, and his initial election as a councillor for the municipality in 2021 went largely unnoticed.
According to John Jeffery, a former deputy minister of justice and constitutional development, Jama was a teenager who had fled his home in Richmond with a group of youngsters to escape political violence. He was living in a refugee centre established by the ANC in Dambuza, Edendale, when he was arrested by Harrington and other police officers. The appeal court judgment described Jama as an "innocent pedestrian who was found next to the road and who was taken away, assaulted and ultimately murdered in cold blood".
Harrington and two other police officers, Frans Stefanus Erasmus and Nhlanhla Madlala, were convicted of Jama's murder, with Harrington receiving the longest sentence. The three men applied for amnesty for the crime at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but their applications were rejected by the Amnesty Committee. Harrington has also admitted to selling guns confiscated from ANC supporters to Inkatha supporters and assaulting other ANC supporters.
Despite his troubled past, Harrington is not legally prevented from being elected to public office. The Freedom Front Plus has stood by its decision to nominate him as its mayoral candidate, referring to his crimes as a "mistake" and failing to acknowledge the apartheid context in which they occurred.
Critics argue that Harrington's actions were not just a "mistake" but a serious crime that resulted in the death of an innocent person. They also point out that the Freedom Front Plus' stance on apartheid-era crimes is at odds with the country's efforts to come to terms with its past.
In contrast, Germany has imposed restrictions on former Nazis who had committed serious crimes from holding public office or working in the public sector. Some argue that South Africa should take a similar approach to dealing with those who perpetrated crimes during the apartheid era.
The controversy surrounding Harrington's candidacy has sparked a wider debate about the role of apartheid-era perpetrators in South African politics. As the country continues to grapple with the legacy of apartheid, many are questioning whether individuals with a history of violence and oppression should be allowed to hold public office.
Key points
- Freedom Front Plus' decision to nominate William Harrington as mayoral candidate sparks controversy due to his apartheid-era conviction for murder.
- Harrington's actions during apartheid, including the murder of an innocent teenager, have been widely condemned.
- The Freedom Front Plus' stance on apartheid-era crimes has been criticized for failing to acknowledge the context in which they occurred.
