“South Africa to Reopen Inquiry into Apartheid-Era Activist Murders”

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"South Africa to Reopen Inquiry into Apartheid-Era Activist Murders"

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South Africa is set to reopen an inquiry into the unsolved murder of four anti-apartheid activists, a case that has remained unresolved for almost four decades and stands as one of the era’s most notorious crimes.

In a statement dated January 5, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola expressed that it was “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 emphasized that this action was necessary to “restore confidence in the justice system.”

Despite two previous inquests in 1987 and 1993, the investigations “produced more questions than answers.”

The victims, known as the Cradock Four, were abducted and murdered in June 1985 while returning home to the southern town of Cradock after a meeting. Their bodies, bearing signs of severe burns and multiple stab wounds, were discovered days later.

During the apartheid era, suspicions arose that the security forces were involved in the killings. However, no one has been held accountable for the murders.