It has been an emotional week for the families of the Cradock Four as an inquest into their deaths got under way in the Gqeberha high court on Monday.
Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkhonto were killed by apartheid-era security branch officers in June 1985.
Over the past four decades, the bereaved families have sought answers.
In 1987, a first inquest found the Cradock Four had been killed by “unknown persons”.
A second inquest in 1993 ruled their deaths had been caused by the police but no-one was prosecuted.
Now, 40 years after the political activists were killed, it is hoped the third investigation into what really transpired after their disappearance on June 27 1985 will finally provide answers — and closure.
The inquest will also seek to establish the identity of the officials involved in the killing.
Speaking outside court earlier this week, Lukhanyo Calata, the son of Fort Calata, said previous inquiries had been handled by their mothers and other family members.
“This is the first time that we, as children, are so intricately involved in the process to find justice for our fathers, and it has been an emotional journey so far,” he said.
On Wednesday, Ntsika Mhlauli — and a delegation of court officials and family members — visited the site at Bluewater Bay where it is believed the body of his father, Sicelo, was found.
For some family members of the Cradock Four, it was the first time they had stood at the place where their loved ones were brutally murdered.
“I have never been here before, but this will forever be a sacred place for me now,” Ntsika said
“Obviously, it is very emotional reliving the past and hearing the accounts from witnesses who knew my father and helped search for him when he disappeared.
“But on the other hand, I now know where his body was found, and I can always come back and visit this place again.”
It is for this reason that the inquest really matters.
For these families — and so many others who lost loved ones in a similar manner during apartheid — these inquests play a crucial part not only in providing answers and closure for the family, but also in healing and reconciliation for SA.
Justice, even decades later, matters.
Our hope is that justice will prevail — for the Cradock Four and all the other slain anti-apartheid activists whose deaths have never been satisfactorily explained.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.