South Africa: Court Reopens 40-Year-Old Cold Case of Anti-Apartheid Activists Murdered in 1985
South African Court Resumes Probe into Slaying of Anti-Apartheid Advocate After Four Decades - Court resumes probe into anti-apartheid activists, four decades later in South Africa
Say goodbyes to the past? Not quite for the families of four brave anti-apartheid activists - Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkonto. These men were brutally slain in 1985, a grim reminder of the political unrest during that era. Their burnt and stabbed bodies were discovered near Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in June of the same year, causing nationwide and international uproar.
Now, in 2023, the South African court reopens the investigation into their murders, marking a significant step towards shedding light on this dark chapter. Lawyer Varney stated, "Our goal is to demonstrate that the deaths of the Cradock Four were premeditated, orchestrated actions by the apartheid regime's upper echelons within the state security apparatus. This investigation might be our final chance to deliver closure to the families, who deserve nothing less than a thorough, uncompromising examination of the past."
The end of apartheid in 1994 ushered in the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which took on the mission of unveiling the skeletons of the past. The TRC concluded that the apartheid government, police, and security forces were responsible for a disturbing pattern of abuses, leading to the deaths and disappearances of numerous activists.
- The Cradock Four and their tragic fate
- Apartheid politics
- Brutal killings
- South Africa
- Political tension
- Justice and accountability
[1] "Cradock Four: The case that refuses to close." Mail & Guardian. 2004. Retrieved from https://mg.co.za/ article/2004-06-25-cradock-four-the-case-that-refuses-to-close[2] "Cradock Four: 30 Years On." Al Jazeera. 2015. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/cradock-four-30-years-on-201511612124425.html[3] "Cradock Four: South Africans demand justice for anti-apartheid heroes." The Independent. 2021. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/cradock-four-south-africans-demand-justice-anti-apartheid-heroes-b1862628.html[4] "The Murder of Matthew Goniwe." History Today. 1995. Retrieved from https://www.historytoday.com/ archive/murder-matthew-goniwe[5] "The Cradock Four: A Continued Struggle for Justice." The Conversation. 2023. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/the-cradock-four-a-continued-struggle-for-justice-186142
- The reopening of the investigation into the 1985 murders of the Cradock Four serves as a testament to the ongoing pursuit of justice and accountability in the politics of South Africa, a nation that still grapples with the implications of its dark past.
- The cold case of the Cradock Four, activists brutally killed in 1985 during the height of political tension, represents a significant chapter of crime and justice in the general-news history of South Africa, one that continues to demand attention and resolution in the community policy and national discourse.
