By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Anti-apartheid activist and Muslim cleric, Imam Abdullah Haron did not die by suffering a heart attack after falling down a flight of stairs, as alleged by the Security Branch of the apartheid-era South African Police Force in 1969.
On Monday, the Western Cape High Court ruled that Haron’s death in September 1969 was the result of repeated torture by the apartheid police’s notorious security branch.
The court dismissed the apartheid police’s version that Haron fell down the stairs and subsequently suffered a heart attack.
“Judge Daniel Thulare found that Haron’s injuries were a cumulative effect of injuries under torture, in particular a combination of severe systematic psychological stresses,” said NPA Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
“Including crush injury syndrome precipitated by complications of bunt soft tissue injury, with the possibility of a pre-existing coronary artery disease as a contributing factor.”
The findings of the 1970 inquest that he died of heart problems were overturned and the new inquest findings were referred to the NPA for possible prosecution of any surviving state employees involved in Haron’s death.
“It held Lt Colonel Carel Johannes Freysen Pienaar, Major Dirk Kotze Genis, Major Kotze, Captain Ebanis Jogiemus Johannes Geldenhuys, Sergeant Johannes Petrus Francois ‘Spyker’ van Wyk and Sergeant Andries van Wyk as responsible for Imam Haron’s death,” said Ntabazalila.
The activist’s daughter Fatiema Haron Masoet said the ruling gives hope to other families who suffered at the hands of the apartheid police.
“Sadly, everybody has passed on. There is no one alive to prosecute. This judgment overrides the 1970 judgment.
“This gives hope to all apartheid victims’ families that are still waiting for their matters to be concluded, and most of the preparators are still alive.”
The NPA says 16 prosecutors and 39 investigators from the Hawks have been appointed to deal with TRC matters.