The nephew of the late anti-apartheid activist Matthew Goniwe, Mbulelo, has told the second sitting of the Cradock Four inquest at the Gqeberha High Court in the Eastern Cape that his uncle was threatened with death by an extremely gun slinging police officer days before he was murdered.
Goniwe was giving evidence on the murder of his uncle and three of his fellow comrades Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkonto on June 27 1985.
The four anti-apartheid activists were abducted, tortured, murdered, and their bodies burned by members of the Security Branch of the South African Police.
Mbulelo recalled that the four comrades were on their way back to Cradock from Gqeberha (then known as Port Elizabeth) when they were ambushed at a roadblock manned by members of the Security Branch.
He said their home was a target of surveillance by the security branch.
“This started years before, when Matthew’s elder brother left the country in 1961 to join uMkhonto weSizwe, our home was constantly visited in the wee hours.
As young children we used to be woken up rudely, and we couldn’t understand what was going on.
When we moved to the new residential area, the vehicles of the special branch would pass at a very slow pace clearly observing what was going on inside.
This treatment did not happen solely to the Goniwe household but a routine thing that took place at the houses particularly of people who were imprisoned at the Robben Island,” said Mbulelo.
Meanwhile, the Foundation for Human Right (FHR) which represent the families of the victims, said that the hearings will be focussing primarily on the persons of interest.
These include the former Chairman of the Transkei Military Council and of Council of Ministers Bantu Homolosa, who is also the leader of United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the current Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
Also expected to testify is the former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock, Gerrit Erasmus (former Security Branch officer), Samuel de Beer (former Deputy Minister of Education), Barend du Plessis (former Minister of Black Education), Craig Williamson (former Security Branch officer), Izak Engelbrecht (former Security Branch officer) and Christoffel van der Westhuizen (former SADF officer and Officer Commanding Eastern Province Command).
“This is the third inquest to examine the circumstances of their deaths and comes after decades of obstruction, political interference, and institutional failure.
Despite findings by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Zietsman Inquest pointing to state responsibility, no one has been held criminally accountable.
For the families who have endured decades of official indifference and delays, the upcoming testimonies offer a long-awaited opportunity to hear directly from individuals occupying key positions at the time of the abduction and murder of the four anti-apartheid activists,” read a statement from FHR.
