NPA to Reopen Inquest into the Death of Anti-Apartheid Icon Steve Biko

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that it will formally enrol the reopening of the inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist and Black Consciousness Movement founder Stephen ‘Steve’ Bantu Biko on Friday. The move marks a significant development in the pursuit of justice for one of South Africa’s most iconic liberation figures, nearly half a century after his death in apartheid police custody.

Approval from Justice Department and Family Support

The NPA stated that the reopening follows the approval of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development after a formal request by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). The request was also endorsed by the legal representatives of the Biko family, ensuring that the matter proceeds with the family’s full support.

This is the latest attempt to revisit one of the darkest episodes of apartheid brutality, with the aim of uncovering truth, accountability, and long-delayed justice.

Arrest, Torture, and Death in Detention

Biko, a fearless advocate for Black pride and self-liberation, was arrested on 18 August 1977 alongside fellow activist Peter Jones at a roadblock near Grahamstown (now Makhanda) for violating his banning orders, which restricted him to his hometown of King William’s Town (Qonce).

He was taken to Walmer Police Station in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), where he was allegedly tortured while shackled in leg irons and kept naked in a cell. Despite clear signs of deteriorating health—including the presence of foam around his mouth—Biko received no medical care for 24 days.

On 11 September 1977, police transported him—still shackled, naked, and unconscious—on a 1,200-kilometre journey to Pretoria in the back of a police Land Rover. He died the following day, 12 September 1977, at the age of just 30.

The official cause of death was listed as extensive brain damage, acute kidney failure, and uremia, injuries consistent with severe head trauma and systemic physical abuse.

Controversial 1977 Inquest and Whitewashing of Abuse

An inquest was initially opened in 1977, but its findings shocked and angered the liberation movement. Members of the apartheid Security Branch (SB) claimed that Biko had sustained his fatal injuries by banging his head against a wall during a scuffle.

Chief Magistrate MJ Prins accepted this version of events and cleared both the police officers and the medical practitioners who failed to treat Biko adequately. On 2 February 1978, the then Attorney General of the Eastern Cape declined to prosecute anyone involved.

TRC Hearings and Amnesty Applications

The matter resurfaced during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1997, when five former SB officers—Major Harold Snyman, Capt. Daniel Petrus Siebert, Capt. Jacobus Johannes Oosthuysen Benecke, W/O Rubin Marx, and Sgt. Gideon Johannes Nieuwoudt—applied for amnesty in relation to Biko’s death.

While the TRC process exposed further details about apartheid-era atrocities, it did not deliver full justice for Biko’s killing. His case has since remained a glaring reminder of unresolved crimes of the past.

A New Step Towards Justice

The reopening of the inquest represents an opportunity to revisit critical evidence, re-examine past legal decisions, and potentially hold perpetrators accountable. It also signals the state’s willingness to confront historical injustices, even decades later.

For the Biko family, who have long sought justice, this development is both symbolic and deeply personal. For South Africa, it is another reminder of the unfinished business of reconciliation and the enduring need to confront painful truths from the apartheid era.

The NPA has committed to ensuring that this new inquest sheds light on the circumstances of Biko’s death and addresses the failures of the past.