The Gqeberha High Court will on Friday reopen the inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, 48 years after he died in police custody.
Biko, the founder and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, was just 30 years old when he died in September 1977. Arrested in Makhanda for allegedly violating a ban restricting his movements, he was detained, tortured, and shackled in a police cell before being hospitalised. His official cause of death was recorded as extensive brain injury.
At the time, an inquest was held where apartheid police officers claimed Biko had hit his head against a wall, a version accepted by the courts. However, years later during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings, both police officers and health practitioners admitted they had lied under oath. The TRC subsequently refused them amnesty.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed that new proceedings will now begin in the Gqeberha High Court.
"It is imperative that this inquisitorial exercise is embarked upon again so that the family and society at large can find closure," said Tyali.
Biko’s legacy as a fearless leader who urged black South Africans to reject white supremacy and embrace pride in their identity remains deeply significant in the country’s history. He was also instrumental in the formation of the South African Students Organisation, which gave a strong political voice to young black South Africans under apartheid.
The reopening of the inquest is expected to bring long-overdue scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding his death, and an opportunity for justice nearly five decades later.
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