The reopened inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist and Black Consciousness Movement founder and leader Steve Biko, who died 48 years ago on Friday, has been adjourned to November 12 for case management
The prosecution informed Gqeberha high court judge Buyiswa Majiki on Friday that there are two persons of interest in the matter who are still alive.
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, for the Biko family, told the court the choice of the date for the reopening of the inquest on Friday was significant.
Biko died in detention on September 12 1977 after interrogation by the apartheid regime's notorious special branch (SB), during which he suffered extensive brain haemorrhaging.
The culprits were never prosecuted because they were cleared by a whitewash inquest established by the apartheid government, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.
Former SB policemen Harold Snyman, Gideon Nieuwoudt, Ruben Marx, Daantjie Siebert, and Johan Beneke applied for but were refused amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission during the 1990s.
Meanwhile, the inquest into the killing of five children by South African Defence Force members in 1993 was postponed by the Mthatha high court to October 30, also for case management.
“The inquests follow the minister of justice and constitutional development’s approval of the national director of public prosecutions’ requests,” Tyali said.
“The main goal of holding them is to lay before the court evidence that will enable the court to make a finding as to whether the deaths were brought about by any act, or omission, which amounts to an offence on the part of any person.”
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