Reopened inquest visits Timol death site

THE reopened inquest into the death of antiapartheid activist Ahmed Timol yesterday visited the scene of his death in October 1971 – the John Vorster Square police station.

Timol fell to his death from the 10th floor of the building, now known as Johannesburg Central. An inquest in 1972 found that he had committed suicide.

However‚ Timol’s family asked for the inquest to be reopened because new information had come to light.

Salim Essop‚ who was arrested with Timol on October 22 1971‚ testified at the inquest on Monday and yesterday.

He could not testify at the original inquest in 1972 because he was in custody.

Essop was charged with furthering the aims of the ANC and the SACP and of endangering the maintenance of law and order.

He was sentenced to five years in prison and released in 1977.

Yesterday, Essop led an inspection of the police station, where he pointed out the rooms where he said he had been tortured.

Following his arrest at a roadblock in Johannesburg with Timol‚ they were taken to the Newlands Police Station‚ and then separated.

Essop was then sent to John Vorster Square where, he told the inquest, he was tortured nonstop for about four days. He was treated in hospital before being sent to prison to await trial.

Essop said he had seen a man with his head covered in a hood on the 10th floor of the police station around October 25 1971. He said he was sure it was Timol.

During the visit, Essop pointed out the two rooms where he was tortured.

He first showed inquest Judge Billy Mothle the room on the 9th floor where he was initially interrogated and described the initial assault.

“One policeman went wild. He just kicked me and pushed me around,” he said.

Essop then took the judge to Room 1013, on the 10th floor, where he described how he was assaulted and tortured for about four days.

He also told the judge that from this room he saw a person who looked like Timol being assisted across the passageway from the washroom to Room 1026‚ where Timol was interrogated. This, he said, must have been on October 25. That was the last time he saw Timol. “There was a kind of hood on Ahmed’s head‚” Essop said, demonstrating how Timol was being assisted to an interrogation room. Timol died on October 27. Veteran human rights lawyer George Bizos SC is expected to testify today.