The Home of Chief Ampie Mayise

Chief Ampie Mayisa was chairman of the Leandra Action Committee (LAC) and leader of the UDF coalition of anti-apartheid groups in Leandra. LAC was led by Chief Ampie Mayise and Abel Nkabinde. The LAC came under attack for protesting against the forced removal of residents to KwaNdebele.

On 11 January 1986, he was abducted from his home by more than 20 vigilantes who were armed with spears, machetes, knives and clubs. They put him in the back of a truck and drove away. Firebombs were thrown into the Mayisa house, burning it down. His mutilated and burnt body was found the next day. He was killed only a few hours before he and other anti-apartheid activists were to meet with the U.S. State Department’s top official on African affairs. His family attributed the death to a continuing feud with pro-government (more conservative Zulu) groups in the township.

"The attackers were allegedly members of a vigilante group calling themselves ‘Concerned Citizens’ or Inkatha, who conducted a number of attacks on members of LAC and the Mpumelelo Youth Congress in retaliation for violence against police and councillors. Many of its members were drawn from a football club owned by a prominent figure amongst the vigilantes. Although the vigilantes called themselves Inkatha, it appears that this was merely a general identification with the conservative traditionalism of the Inkatha movement in Natal, rather than any formal links to the political party. Chief Minister Buthelezi in fact publicly disowned the Leandra vigilantes." (SABC Truth Commission).