THE LOWLY NEWSPAPER MAN: Biko inquest delay deepens drift towards collective amnesia about apartheid horrors
We live in an angry nation that has not fully come to terms with the trauma of our past. The governors of our land are not aiding the healing by trying to sweep the past under the carpet.
In South Africa, where the nation grapples with the trauma of its apartheid past, the inquest into the brutal murder of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko is delayed. The family of Biko's widow, Ntsiki, had to negotiate for legal representation as Legal South Africa, the state entity responsible for providing access to justice, deemed her ineligible for assistance. This bureaucratic decision was as cold as if Biko's widow had been accused of petty crimes such as shoplifting or theft.
The delay in the inquest was briefly resolved by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, who pledged her department's support. However, the delay highlights the country's reluctance to confront its dark past. Nearly half a century after an inquest concluded that Biko's death was not the result of any criminal act, the truth is once again being obstructed by small-mindedness.
The Khampepe Commission, which investigates allegations of the democratic government's suppression of apartheid-era crimes, is also facing challenges. Aided by relentless campaigning by affected families and civil society groups, this commission exposes the alleged secret oral pacts between former liberation leaders and the apartheid regime to overlook the systematic killing machine.
The possibility of the ANC leadership being involved in this cover-up has even led to a legal battle between two former presidents, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.
The ANC, the dominant party in the Government of National Unity, seems to prioritize the pursuit of State Capture cases and the funding of the Zondo Commission over the TRC process. The TRC, hailed worldwide as a model for post-conflict reconciliation, is now being treated as a joke or even a mistake by the very country that designed it.
This betrayal of the millions of South Africans who believed in the nation-building process on the basis of justice serves as a stark reminder of the country's ongoing struggle to deal with its past in a meaningful way.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
