South African Government Set To Reinitiate Investigation Into Apartheid-Era Deaths

South Africa is set to reexamine a cold case involving the murder of four anti-apartheid activists, marking one of the era’s most infamous crimes that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades.

In a statement dated January 5, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola emphasized the importance of reopening the inquiry, stating that it is “in the interests of justice to finally bring closure to the families of the deceased who have been waiting decades for the truth about who killed their loved ones.” Lamola underscored the necessity of this action to “restore confidence in the justice system.”

Despite two previous inquests held in 1987 and 1993, both failed to provide conclusive answers, generating more questions than resolutions.

The victims, known as the Cradock Four – Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto, Fort Calata, and Sicelo Mhlauli – were abducted and murdered in June 1985 while returning home to Cradock. Their badly burnt bodies, with multiple stab wounds were discovered days later.

Two inquests were held – in 1987 and 1993 – but “produced more questions than answers”, the statement said.

Following the end of apartheid in 1994, the truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) was established to uncover the horrors of the white-minority regime.

The TRC found that the South African government, police and security branch were responsible for “a systematic pattern of abuse” that resulted in the “deaths and disappearances of activists”.

In the case of the Cradock Four, members of the security forces “revealed how and why the deceased were killed, 14 years after the gruesome deaths of the deceased”, the ministry said.

The TRC offered amnesty to those who gave a full accounting of their crimes, although it was denied to suspects involved in the Cradock Four deaths.

The national prosecuting authority service has called for the reopening of the case to present evidence from the TRC that was not considered in the previous inquiries.

Lamola said the move was needed for “confidence in the justice system to be restored”.

The apartheid regime’s security forces were suspected of involvement in the killings, yet no one has been held accountable for these heinous crimes.