Judge visits locations related to killings of Cradock Four

GQEBERHA – It’s been an unconventional day for the Gqeberha High Court, with the presiding judge in the Cradock Four inquest being transported to significant locations related to the lives and killings of the anti-apartheid activists.

The reopened inquest kicked off before Judge Thami Beshe. It was decided that two days would be for in loco inspections by the court.

Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli were killed by apartheid special branch police in 1985.

On a regular day in court, Judge Beshe would’ve been robed in red, seated in an elevated leather chair before lawyers, accused and the public. But on Tuesday, she stood almost swallowed in a group, clutching a notepad and clad in just a black velvet dress, listening attentively to Mbulelo Goniwe, Matthew’s nephew, in the streets of Cradock.

Standing on the N10 highway, Goniwe showed the exact spot where he and Matthew were stopped by police days before he was abducted and killed by apartheid police.

“We were travelling and taking Nyami to work and we met the then head of security, a certain guy called Lieutenant Fouche he stopped us and he grabbed Matthew on the chest and literally pulled him out of the car and placed a fire arm in his forehead, uttered the words, that I am going to f** kill you.”

Meanwhile, the lawyers of the former apartheid police officers who are suspects in the Cradock Four killings quietly listened to accounts given by Goniwe, only periodically asking questions.  

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