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The last known detainee to see activist Matthews “Mojo” Mabelane alive says Mabelane appeared severely injured, shackled in chains and too weak to walk unaided while being led to an interrogation room at the notorious John Vorster Square police station.
Mochibidu John Tseladimitloa — who knew the anti-apartheid activist Mabelane through student activism — told the reopened inquest in the Johannesburg high court on Thursday this was the last time he saw Mabelane alive. He further testified that later that night, a security policeman allegedly told detainees that Mabelane’s “ghost” would come for them if they did not tell the truth, leading them to believe that Mabelane had died.
Mabelane, 22, died in February 1977 while detained under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act. An inquest held later that year found that no person could be held responsible for his death, concluding that he sustained fatal injuries after allegedly falling accidentally from the tenth floor of the police station.
The inquest is ongoing and is expected to conclude on June 12.
“The reopening of the inquest demonstrates the National Prosecuting Authority’s ongoing commitment to uncovering the truth surrounding Matthews Mabelane’s death and establishing whether any individual should be held criminally accountable,” said NPA spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole.
TimesLIVE
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