For 53 years, Imam Abdullah Haron’s family searched for answers.
The family were kept in the dark about what happened during the 123 days the anti-apartheid activist and cleric was detained by the notorious operatives of the brutal apartheid system.
Haron was held at the Cape Town police station, formerly known as Caledon Square in May 1969 for 75 nights and transferred to the Maitland police station for 45 nights.
However, his whereabouts on September 17 and 18, 1969 remained a mystery.
After much pressure, the Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola reopened the inquest into Haron’s death.
Under international law, the South African government is expected to ensure that victims of apartheid-era murders and their families can enjoy their inalienable right to truth, justice and reparations. However, the wheels of justice are turning too slowly for families who have not seen justice or reparations.
The inquest, which took place in the Western Cape High Court in November, is regarded as significant to the Haron family and the country.
Many other anti-apartheid activists died at the hands of the police or were reportedly killed by agents and members of the Vlakplaas death squad.
Activists included, among others, the Black Consciousness leader Steve Bantu Biko, Ahmed Timol, Cradock activists and the Cradock Four that included Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli, as well as Griffiths Mxenge and his wife, Victoria.
The state refused during the apartheid years to accept any responsibility for their murders and protected those responsible from being held accountable.
Most of the perpetrators have since died.
Speaking on behalf of the Cradock Four, Lukhanyo Calata said of the reopened Haron inquest: “We celebrate the moment with the family and we hope it will bring them some form of peace and justice."
“In the case of the Cradock Four case we need the state to act swiftly and start with prosecutions. Our mothers are in their late 60s and 70s and deserve justice. The Haron family deserves justice so it can find peace and closure,” said Calata.
The Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), which the Haron family approached for the re-opened inquest, described it as a “significant victory”.
In 2019 Haron's wife, Galiema, died without getting answers to the circumstances that led to the death of her husband.
“Accountability for apartheid era crimes is also critical to the history of our country so that young South Africans learn about the criminality of the apartheid state,” said FHR director and veteran human rights lawyer, Yasmin Sooka.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was established to dig into the murky apartheid past, provided perpetrators of gross human rights violations with the opportunity to apply for amnesty provided they made a full disclosure about their role in perpetrating gross human rights violations.
Where there was no full disclosure or where nobody applied for amnesty, it was expected that the law would follow its course and those responsible would be prosecuted.
The TRC in 1998 provided a list of some 300 cases to the National Prosecutorial Authority (NPA) for further investigation and prosecutions.
However, this compact was not honoured by the NPA or the South African government which placed a moratorium on investigations and prosecutions which lasted for more than 23 years.
The Haron inquest is expected to determine the cause of Haron’s death and where it has identified those responsible for the death, it may recommend further investigation and prosecution.
In 2019 Haron's wife, Galiema, died without getting answers to the circumstances that led to the death of her husband.
“Accountability for apartheid-era crimes is also critical to the history of our country, so that young South Africans learn about the criminality of the apartheid state,” said FHR director and veteran human rights lawyer, Yasmin Sooka.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was established to dig into the murky apartheid past, provided perpetrators of gross human rights violations with the opportunity to apply for amnesty provided they fully disclosed their role in perpetrating gross human rights violations.
Where there was no full disclosure or where nobody applied for amnesty, it was expected that the law would follow its course and those responsible would be prosecuted.
The TRC in 1998 provided a list of some 300 cases to the National Prosecutorial Authority (NPA) for further investigation and prosecutions.
However, this compact was not honoured by the NPA or the South African government which placed a moratorium on investigations and prosecutions for more than 23 years.
The Haron inquest is expected to determine the cause of Haron’s death and where it has identified those responsible, it may recommend further investigation and prosecution.
Weekend Argus