South Africa to reopen inquest into death of prominent anti-apartheid leader

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - South Africa’s minister of justice and correctional services requested that a judge reopen an inquest into the detention death of prominent anti-apartheid activist Imam Abudllah Haron who died more than 50 years ago.

“The renewed investigation into the Apartheid Crime will consider expert reports from a state pathologist and an aeronautical engineer and trajectory expert will provide a new perspective into the probable cause of the death of Imam Haron,” the Justice Department quoted Ronald Lamola in a statement late Tuesday.

The religious leader, who died 53 years ago at the age of 45, had been incarcerated for 122 days before his death at the notorious Caledon Square police station of the apartheid regime in downtown Cape Town.

The special branch police said he died after falling down a flight of stairs, breaking two ribs and sustaining multiple bruises. Haron's family dismissed the claims, while activists said he was murdered.

The apartheid regime held an inquest into his death in 1970 based primarily on reports from medical experts and police witnesses.

Lamola said an inquest must be so thorough that the public and interested parties are satisfied that there has been a full investigation into the circumstances of the death.

He said the new inquest will help to determine if the original court finding that Haron died from falling down the stairs was correct.

“We must do all we can to ensure that justice prevails no matter how long it takes,” he said.

Haron was posthumously awarded the Order of Luthuli in Gold in 2014 for his exceptional contribution to raising awareness of political injustices by the South African government for his role in the struggle against apartheid.