Cradock Four inquest begins in Gqeberha

AFTER nearly four decades of unanswered questions, the latest inquest into the deaths of the Cradock Four has officially begun in the Eastern Cape city of Ggeberha.

- SIFISO MAHLANGU, [e-mail]

The families of Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, and Sicelo Mhlauli are hoping this renewed legal process will finally bring accountability for the brutal killings of the four anti-apartheid activists in 1985.

This marks the third official inquiry into the high-profile case, which has long symbolised the struggle for justice in post-apartheid South Africa. While previous investigations have pointed to police involvement, no one has been held criminally responsible.

The Cradock Four were abducted and murdered during the apartheid regime’s crackdown on political dissent. Their charred bodies were discovered near Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in June 1985, sparking national outrage and international condemnation.

The first inquest in 1987 concluded that the men were killed by “unknown persons’, despite strong suspicions of police involvement.