Latest news with #LukhanyoCalata
News24
3 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Unfinished business: Uncovering the buried crimes of apartheid regime
EDITORIAL: Unfinished business - Uncovering the buried crimes of apartheid regime Lukhanyo Calata never had the chance to know his father. In 1985, when he was just three years old, his father, Fort Calata, was brutally murdered alongside Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto, and Sicelo Mhlauli. Collectively, they became known as the Cradock Four. Despite two inquests into their deaths, no one has ever been held accountable for their kidnapping, assault, or the gruesome act of setting their bodies alight following their arrest at a roadblock set up by the Security Branch near Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha). In 1999, six former police officers connected to the Cradock Four's arrests and murders appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), seeking amnesty. Their application was denied. Yet, even after this, no prosecutions followed. For decades, Calata has sought answers, questioning why - more than 30 years after the democratic election of the ANC - justice remains elusive for the Cradock Four. This week, a third inquest got under way, seeking to uncover who was truly responsible for the death of the anti-apartheid activists. This inquest comes shortly after the announcement that retired Constitutional Court justice Sisi Khampepe will lead a judicial inquiry into whether there were deliberate attempts to block the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes. Beyond the Cradock Four, there are an estimated 400 unsolved cases from South Africa's apartheid era. In this week's Friday Briefing, News24's legal journalist, Karyn Maughan, delves into the law enforcement paralysis that followed the TRC and its devastating impact on the families of victims. Lukhanyo Calata, in his contribution, writes poignantly about his family's anguish and the pain of asking questions when no one remains alive to provide answers. Additionally, in this week's edition, in-depth writer Muhammad Hussain interviews ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip regarding the party's proposal to amend the Constitution. Explore these insightful contributions below. The apartheid government got away with murder... and SA needs to know why There is compelling evidence that apartheid-era atrocity cases were not prosecuted because of alleged political interference from the ANC government. And, Karyn Maughan writes, it's crucial this toxic subversion of accountability is finally explained – and confronted. Read the rest of the submission here. An ANC failure: The long journey for justice for the Cradock Four Lukhanyo Calata, son of Fort Calata - one of the Cradock Four who were brutally murdered - shares his reflections on a renewed inquest into apartheid-era atrocities. He argues that these proceedings, including an inquest into the Cradock Four's deaths, will expose the harm inflicted by the ANC and unravel the reasons behind the historical obfuscation. Read the rest of the submission here. Q&A with Athol Trollip | ActionSA constitutional change: 'If people want to call it xenophobic, so be it' ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip speaks to in-depth writer Muhammad Hussain and defends his party's submission to modify the Constitution's 'South Africa belongs to all who live in it' principle.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Four decades on, still no justice for South Africa's Apartheid-era atrocities
Victims of Apartheid-era atrocities are suing the South African government for damages over failing to prosecute those suspected of committing Apartheid-era crimes. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified some 300 suspects to be investigated for possible prosecution, but the vast majority were never pursued. Lukhanyo Calata was 3 years old when his father's body was found. He says he was too young to remember his dad, and only recalls his funeral. 'I remember seeing what I grew up calling 'the red box',' he said, referring to his father's coffin. 'I remember seeing it being lowered into the ground, and I knew that my father was in there. What I didn't know at the time was that I would have to grow up without him,' said the 43-year-old. Fort Calata was an anti-Apartheid activist from the town of Cradock in the Eastern Cape. He was raised by his grandfather, the secretary general of the African National Congress (ANC), who instilled in him the fight for civil rights. As Calata grew into a young man, his activism gained traction in Cradock and he became a target of the state's security apparatus. On June 27, 1985, Calata and his comrades Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto and Sicelo Mhlauli drove to Port Elizabeth for a United Democratic Front meeting. But they never returned. Their desecrated corpses were found burned, with signs of torture. They would become known as the Cradock Four. 'They had pulled my father's tongue out of his mouth,' Calata said. 'And they had cut off his ring finger. I don't know why.' The suspected killers of the Cradock Four asked for amnesty but were denied. Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:In South Africa, poor governance leads to collapse of Johannesburg's infrastructureOpenly gay imam shot dead in South Africa
