Cape Town - The reopening of the inquest into the death of Imam Abdullah Haron is seen as a chance to right the wrongs of injustices suffered in the past.
In his opening remarks on Monday morning, Judge Daniel Thulare said the two weeks designated for the inquest, during which two in loco inspections will take place at two police stations, hopes to “engage, in public ... in a thorough, proper, full and fair investigation of the cause or likely cause of death of Imam Abdullah Haron and that we are in truth able to determine whether the death was brought about by any act or omission prima facie involving or amounting to an offence on the part of any person”.
Judge Thulare also called on members of the public who may be able to provide relevant material evidence that could assist the inquest to determine what happened to Haron while he was incarcerated between May 28 and September 27, 1969, to come forward.
The reopening of the inquest comes 53 years after the death of Haron in detention at the age of 45. The apartheid Security Branch claimed he died after “a fall down stairs” while in police custody.
However, Haron’s family said the 27 bruises and a fractured rib, noted in a post-mortem, was due to police brutality while he was being held at Maitland police station.
Haron was said to have been found dead in his cell on September 27, 1969, with multiple bruises.
Counsel for the family said they have had to sit for decades with a “fraudulent finding” by Magistrate JSP Kuhn, who penned a four-paragraph finding exonerating the Security Branch from any responsibility for their loved one’s death.
The matter continues at the Western Cape High Court this week.
Cape Times