Cradock four inquest faces another hurdle

CONTINUED delays in securing legal representation for former Lieutenant General Christoffel Pierre “Joffel” van der Westhuizen, the man who allegedly authorised the murders of the four men known as the Cradock Four, are hampering the inquest into their deaths.

- NICOLA DANIELS

Van der Westhuizen, now 83, was the commanding officer of the Eastern Province Command and a member of the Joint Management Committee, a structure of the State Security Council (SSC) at the time Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli (known as the Cradock Four) were killed.

Van der Westhuizen allegedly ordered the signal on 7 June 1985 to urgently “permanently remove” the Cradock Four “from society”. This was to be sent to the head of the Secretariat of the SSC.

According to the Foundation for Human Rights, the 1994 inquest under Judge Neville Zietsman found that it had been established prima facie that the murderers were members of the security forces and that a “case of suspicion” had been made out against certain police and army officers, including Van der Westhuizen.