Cape Town - The family of the late cleric and political activist Imam Abdullah Haron, who was killed in police custody in 1969, will soon hear the outcome of the reopened inquest into his death.
In May last year, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola asked the now-former judge president of the Western Cape Division of the High Court to designate a judge to reopen an inquest into the death in detention of Imam Haron.
Imam Haron was detained by the Security Branch of the police in terms of the then Terrorism Act and died while in police detention on September 27, in 1969 at Maitland police station, now the Cape Town Central police station.
The Imam was held incommunicado for 123 days, unable to see his wife and three children. The family was told that the Imam died as a result of falling down some stairs. The Imam from Newlands-Claremont was 45 years old at the time of his death.
An inquest was held in 1970 by the apartheid state, based on reports from medical experts and police witnesses.
The Department of Justice and Correctional Services said the renewed investigation into the apartheid crime would consider expert reports from a state pathologist, an aeronautical engineer and trajectory experts to ascertain the probable cause of death.
Lamola’s decision to approve the inquest follows an application from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The Imam was appointed Imam of the Al-Jamia Mosque in Stegman Road (Claremont) in 1955. Together with close friends, he established the Claremont Muslim Youth Association (CMYA) in 1958. He was also central in the establishment of the monthly newspaper, Muslim Views, and appointed as its first editor.
The Imam was also critical of apartheid laws such as the Group Areas Act, and used his platforms to fiercely advocate for justice.
The inquest hearings in November last year were presided over by Judge Daniel Thulare.
The Imam’s son, Professor Muhammed Haron, said: “To put it frankly, we were sceptical considering the fact that more than 50 years have elapsed since the apartheid state’s inquest in 1970. This somewhat changed at the outset, when the judge gave his introductory speech. The judge’s words helped to set us at ease and listen to the evidence that was given over the few days.
“From what we could observe the investigations that were conducted by Webber Wentzel (our lawyers, led by advocate Howard Varney) were quite thorough. The officers that were involved in our father’s case tried to ‘leave no stone unturned’, as a result, it put our doubts about the whole affair/ process to rest.”
Haron said he and his youngest sister Fatima Haron-Masoet were satisfied with the evidence and information presented and hoped to hear a positive outcome.
The family were informed by their lawyers of the soon-to-be delivered judgment on Monday, which will be handed down on October 9.
Haron-Masoet said: “We asked with incredible urgency that a sustainable capacity to finalise these long-outstanding matters and bring truth and closure and peace to all our families, and families like ours.”
“When I reflect back to the two weeks of 2022, it was a harrowing account of listening to the witnesses for the family and more so the witness for the State. It was very telling that our father was tortured from day one, for the entire 123 days while he was in detention.”
The family received the Imam’s battered and bruised body for Muslim burial. It was particularly hard to look at, with the Imam’s son unable to speak on how seeing this had affected him, she said.
The Imam’s face was free of wounds, however he suffered 27 bruises to his body and two broken ribs.