CAPE TOWN - The families of the Cradock Four are yet another step closer to finding justice as the decision on whether to prosecute those behind the murders is expected to be made by December 2.
The families of the anti-apartheid activists Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkhonto were recently informed of this decision by Justice Minister Minister Ronald Lamola.
Speaking at the inaugural Fort Calata memorial lecture in Cradock, Eastern Cape, on Friday, Lamola confirmed that a judge will be appointed to look into why the Cradock Four murders and that of many other anti-apartheid activist were not prosecuted.
The joint initiative of the Fort Calata Foundation and Rhodes University took the form of a panel discussion centred on the theme “The Quest for Justice”.
Goniwe and Calata were perceived by the apartheid state as threats and described as being “in the forefront of a revolutionary attack against the state”.
The four activists were coming from a meeting of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Port Elizabeth when they were intercepted at a police roadblock.
They were abducted, tortured and their bodies later burnt. While the bodies of Mhlauli and Mkonto were found soon afterwards near Port Elizabeth, Goniwe and Calata's bodies were only found days later in sea scrub bushland near Bluewater Bay.
“The families deserve the truth to come out. For that reason we have agreed with the judgment that we need to appoint a judge who must conclude the investigation and to hold everyone accountable.
“This is the first step. Despite the challenges of resources we have also engaged with the NPA and they requested we give them support to appoint the necessary human resources to enable this work to be done. We have done so,” Lamola said.
The NPA has appointed 23 prosecutors to specialise in Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases and 34 Hawks investigators.
“We have indicated through the policy that this process must be completed in a period of 3 years because it has already taken too long. In the matter of the Cradock Four there has been an agreement that the NPA needs to come up with a prosecution decision before the end of this year, December,” Lamola said.
“I don’t look at this only from a procedural level but also from a service delivery perspective as a democratic country.”
Calata’s son, Lukhanyo Calata, who has been spearheading the fight for justice for the family, said Lamola had confirmed to the families that a decision whether or not to prosecute will be known by December 2.
The appointment of the judge and additional resources was a step in the right direction, he said.
“This will help us to finally get answers as to why the ANC government has taken so long to prosecute TRC related matters. It will give us a sense of closure and help us confront the ANC with actual facts and details.
“This has been a difficult process for us because we have had to fight with a government we thought was for us to give us justice.
“We feel we have been betrayed by people who should have had our best interests at heart. We have been waiting for justice for 36 years and other families for 51 years,” he said.
“We want to see if this deadline will be met, if not then litigation will follow. If it is met then it will prove to us that the government is putting its money where its month is and moving as required at the necessary pace to ensure we get justice soon. We will follow up on all commitments."
For the Imam Abdullah Haron family, the wait for justice was far from over, said National Imam Haron Foundation (IHF) co-ordinator Cassiem Khan.
While welcoming any progress made in the investigation and prosecution into apartheid-era killings, there has been no formal communication from Lamola to the Haron family.
“We would appreciate it very much if the minister could meet families and inform them. Many of the families have been contacted by Hawks investigators and families are co-operating fully. But the investigators must accept that families are anxious and have been waiting for a long time. They must do their verification of facts expeditiously and thoroughly.”
Khan said many cases were linked because the same perpetrators were involved, hence the approach of the NPA and Hawks cannot be on a case by case basis.
He said they needed the name of the judge appointed or considered, and court dates.
“We do not need responses like ‘information is classified’; Minister Lamola or the president or the NPA can declassify the information. This will facilitate the pace. There is a need for specialists such as pathologists, explosive specialists, trajectory specialists.
“The president, according to Lamola, suggested getting more money from the Treasury for the cases. He must get money for specialised investigations that will prove that apartheid police, prosecutors and magistrates colluded to cover up crimes.
“If anyone in the ANC establishment colluded with the apartheid-era criminals, as claimed, and promised them amnesty that caused the delays, they must be exposed and charged with obstruction of justice,” Khan added.
Cape Times