Inquest into death of anti-apartheid activist resumes

The five-week inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Dr Neil Aggett resumes virtually today, with closing arguments scheduled for 26 February.

The part-heard inquest ran from January to February last year, but had to be postponed due the illness of the presiding judge.

The initial resumption date scheduled for 1 June 2020, also had to be postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions and the lockdown.

Despite legal representatives of the Aggett family requesting that the inquest hearings be held in-person, the second wave of Covid-19 infections in South Africa, has made it impossible.

The decision to start again was based on the view of the family that resuming the inquest without further delay was in the interests of justice.

The legal team representing the Aggett family are determined to ensure that they use the inquest to uncover the truth by piercing the cloak of secrecy surrounding the activities of the then security branch in the detention, torture and death of anti-apartheid activists.

Aggett was a medical doctor, trade union organiser and the first white person to die in detention during apartheid on 5 February, 1982.

He was found hanging in his cell at John Vorster Square, after 70 days in police custody.

An initial inquest in 1982, ruled his death was due to suicide. Almost three decades later – based on new evidence – a reopened inquest was ordered in August 2019.

The inquest hearings will be livestreamed by the Foundation for Human Rights via its Facebook page at @FHRights.