GQEBERHA – The reopened inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko has been postponed to 30 January, as two former police officers who are persons of interest in the case seek state funding for their legal representation.
The Gqeberha High Court postponed the inquest today for further case management and to finalise legal funding arrangements for the two surviving former officers implicated in Biko’s death 48 years ago.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Eastern Cape, the two persons of interest in the matter, both former police officers, have applied for the state to fund their legal representatives, which must be confirmed before the inquest can proceed.
Stephen Bantu Biko, founder and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), died on 12 September 1977, after allegedly being tortured to death by the apartheid regime’s Special Branch.
The officers involved were never prosecuted after being cleared by what has been described as a “whitewash inquest” and were not granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission following South Africa’s transition to democracy.
NPA Regional Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Division, Luxolo Tyali, explained that the inquest follow approval from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of the National Director of Public Prosecutions’ requests.
The NPA emphasised its commitment to addressing past atrocities, stating that “the NPA and its partners will continue their efforts to address the atrocities of the past and assist in providing closure to the families of the deceased and society at large”.
