On June 27, 1985, as night enveloped the region, Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkonto embarked on a 150-mile journey home after attending an anti-apartheid meeting in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha. Tragically, they never reached their destination.
Approximately an hour into their trip, while traveling north toward their hometown of Cradock (now Nxuba), the men were stopped by three white security police officers. They were handcuffed and taken back toward Gqeberha.
Mkonto was shot during a confrontation with one of the officers, while the others were struck from behind. Their bodies were subjected to multiple stabbings by three black police officers who joined their white counterparts in an effort to fabricate a narrative of a vigilante attack. To further conceal the truth, the bodies were then set on fire. When Mhlauli’s remains were eventually discovered, one of his hands was missing.
The four individuals became known as the Cradock Four, and their brutal murders served as a stark illustration of the ruthless violence inherent in the apartheid regime.
The transition to democracy in 1994 did not bring the families the closure they sought, nor did it clarify whether the killings had the tacit approval of senior government officials.
Over four decades later, the families continue their pursuit of justice, which has become emblematic of the shortcomings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), established 30 years ago on April 15, 1996.
Under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, the TRC aimed to investigate human rights abuses committed during the apartheid era and by anti-apartheid groups. It offered a path to amnesty for those who confessed their crimes.
However, subsequent governments led by the African National Congress (ANC) have been criticized for not following through on numerous cases referred to prosecutors by the TRC. Families of victims have accused former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma of colluding with apartheid-era generals to suppress these cases, in exchange for not pursuing ANC members for their actions during the struggle.
Mbeki, who served as president from 1999 to 2008, has denied any interference with TRC cases, while Zuma, who held office from 2009 to 2018, has attempted to impede a judicial inquiry into potential political meddling in prosecutions.
In the original inquest into the deaths of the Cradock Four in 1987, their killers were labeled as “unknown persons.” A subsequent 1993 inquest acknowledged that “members of the security forces” were involved, yet it failed to name any specific individuals.
It was during the TRC hearings that the three white police officers confessed to their involvement in the murders in an attempt to avoid prosecution, while another three admitted to orchestrating or ordering the killings. All were ultimately denied amnesty by the TRC and have since passed away. The three black officers involved were killed in a 1989 car bombing, likely to prevent them from disclosing the truth about the case.
In June of last year, a third inquest into the Cradock Four’s deaths was initiated, following years of relentless pressure from their families. Their persistent inquiry remains: why, despite being denied amnesty by the TRC, were the perpetrators not prosecuted years ago?
The initial TRC hearings took place in East London (now KuGompo City), located 180 miles from Gqeberha. For many victims and their families, this was a rare opportunity to publicly share their experiences of suffering. On the second day of the hearings, Nomonde Calata, Fort Calata’s widow, broke down in tears. Her heartfelt cries resonated with millions of viewers on the national broadcaster SABC.
Following her husband’s death at the age of 28, Calata had suppressed her grief. She recounted in a March 22 interview, alongside her son Lukhanyo in a Gqeberha hotel, that she initially refrained from showing her sadness for fear of giving the “enemy” satisfaction. However, she found it impossible to contain her anguish during the TRC hearings.
The National Party, which came to power in 1948, enforced a system of racial segregation and discrimination, promoting white Afrikaner nationalism. Nevertheless, the TRC’s mandate only covered events from 1960 to 1994. During its operation, the commission gathered testimonies from approximately 21,000 victims, with 2,000 individuals testifying publicly. The hearings, which continued until June 1997, revealed harrowing accounts of torture, abductions, disappearances, and murders, capturing the attention of the nation.
The testimonies of certain apartheid security forces, who confessed to various violations in an effort to avoid prosecution, were particularly impactful. Among them was Eugene de Kock, known as “Prime Evil,” who led the notorious Vlakplaas assassination squad.
In October 1996, De Kock was convicted of six murders and sentenced to 212 years in prison. The following year, he testified at the TRC, expressing resentment that apartheid-era generals and politicians had not been held accountable for their actions.
The amnesty hearings continued until 2000, with over 7,000 applications submitted, of which 849 were approved.
Max du Preez, who presented the SABC’s weekly Sunday evening TRC Special Report, highlighted the importance of the commission’s revelations. As an Afrikaner who had exposed many of apartheid’s atrocities during its decline, he noted that the confessions of the amnesty applicants played a crucial role in preventing denial of the regime’s violent nature. “If you were any kind of reasonable person, you could not deny afterwards that apartheid was a violent, evil system,” he remarked.
Conversely, Yasmin Sooka, a TRC commissioner and human rights attorney, criticized the commission for not adequately addressing the systemic nature of apartheid. She remarked that political figures, particularly FW de Klerk, the last president of apartheid, made it clear from the outset that they would not take responsibility for their actions, which hindered the process.
While the TRC facilitated moments of catharsis, truth-telling, and accountability, growing disappointment with the ANC has persisted in the years since.
