NPA to Reopen Steve Biko Inquest

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced on Wednesday that it will reopen the inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko.

This follows the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development’s approval of a request by the National Director of Public Prosecutions, supported by the legal representatives of the Biko family.

Biko died 48 years ago after allegedly being tortured by apartheid security police.

According to Eastern Cape Regional Spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, Biko was arrested with fellow activist Peter Jones at a roadblock near Grahamstown (Makhanda) on 18 August 1977.

“He violated his banning orders, which restricted his movement to King William’s Town (Qonce),” Tyali explained. “He was taken to Walmer Police Station in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where he was allegedly tortured while shackled in leg irons and kept naked in a cell. It was only after 24 days in custody that medical assistance was sought for him after ‘foam’ was seen around his mouth.

“On 11 September 1977, he was loaded unconscious, still naked and shackled, into the back of a police Land Rover and transported 1,200 kilometres to a prison hospital in Pretoria. He died outside a Pretoria hospital on 12 September 1977 at the age of 30.”

At the time, the inquest accepted the police version of events. Chief Magistrate MJ Prins found that Biko’s injuries were sustained during a scuffle with members of the notorious Special Branch and exonerated both the police officers and medical practitioners involved. On 2 February 1978, the then Attorney General of the Eastern Cape declined to prosecute anyone for Biko’s death.

“The main goal of reopening the inquest,” Tyali said, “is to place before the court evidence that will enable it to make a finding, in terms of section 16(2)(d) of the Inquests Act 58 of 1959, as to whether the death was caused by any act or omission which prima facie amounts to an offence on the part of any person.”