Reopened inquest into Steve Biko’s death to resume on Wednesday

The reopened inquest into Steve Biko’s death will resume on Wednesday in the Gqeberha High Court, in the Eastern Cape.

Presiding Judge Isaac Madondo has to rule on the postponement application put forward by the lawyer representing the Biko Family, Ngqiqo Sakhele.

Sakhele stated before Judge Madondo that they need time to review thousands of pages of records dating back to the first inquest in the matter in 1977.

Many of these records need translation from Afrikaans to English.

Sakhele mentioned that the translations could not have been done before Tuesday’s appearance as the Department of Justice only agreed to cover their legal costs on Monday.

He also stated that witnesses such as Craig Williamson, who testified in the Cradock Four inquest, need to be subpoenaed.

Williamson gave evidence at the Cradock Four inquest that set him at the forefront of Biko’s surveillance before he was arrested by the apartheid police.

“We need to examine documentation from IUEF and the involvement of Mr Williamson.

We want him to be subpoenaed, as he is currently not listed as one of the witnesses yet.

His evidence is relevant and necessary.

Should he not be cross-examined in detail, we will be failing our duty for responsible people to be held accountable for Biko’s death,” says Sakhele.