Justice Revisited: Steve Biko's Death Inquest Reopened
A South African court has reopened the inquest into Steve Biko's death, decades after he died under mysterious circumstances in police custody. The new inquiry seeks to determine if his death involved criminal acts, with the involvement of apartheid-era officers being scrutinized anew.
- Country:
- South Africa
A groundbreaking development in the pursuit of justice for apartheid-era crimes surfaces as a South African court reopens the inquest into the death of anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko. This decision comes 48 years after Biko's death in police custody, shocking the world and amplifying calls to abolish white minority rule.
Steve Biko, a prominent founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, succumbed to brain injuries on September 12, 1977, allegedly at the hands of the apartheid regime's Special Branch. Despite allegations of torture, no officers were prosecuted, and a 1977 inquest deemed Biko's death occurred during a claimed scuffle with officers, assigning no criminal liability.
In 1999, South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission withheld amnesty from involved officers, two of whom remain alive. The National Prosecuting Authority and its affiliates pledge continued efforts to confront past atrocities and aid the Biko family and wider society in achieving closure. The inquest adjourns until November 12 for case management at the High Court of South Africa.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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