Africa-Press – South-Africa. An inquest into the death of anti-apartheid lawyer and activist Griffiths Mxenge scheduled to be heard in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Monday was postponed to June for witness preparation.
State prosecutor Siyabonga Ngcobo called for the matter to be postponed to give witnesses time to prepare themselves for the hearing. Ngcobo said they have subpoenaed several witnesses, including notorious Vlakplaas askari assassin Joe Mamasela, to testify.
“Based on our experience, the process usually takes about three weeks, but sometimes it takes more. That is why we asked for a postponement,” said Ngcobo.
Judge Piet Bezuidenhout granted the postponement, saying he hoped all parties would be ready for the hearing provisionally adjourned until June 17.
Speaking to the media after the postponement, Mxenge’s daughter Ntombodidi Mxenge-Makhanya said the reopening of the inquest into her father’s death 44 years ago was welcomed by his family.
“As a family we hope it will bring closure and heal the wounds inflicted by the death of our father,” she said.
Mxenge-Makhanya, who was eight years old when her father was killed, said they were also looking for justice.
“We always wanted to know who killed our father to get closure.”
She said it was painful to know her father was “killed like a dog” since no-one was arrested.
“My father loved people. Our home in Umlazi was always full of people who came to visit him because of his humility.”
The court was packed and security was tight. ANC top brass at the hearing included former health minister Zweli Mkhize and former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
The party’s national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC welcomed the start of inquests into the “tragic, unresolved and mysterious deaths” of Mxenge, as well as Chief Albert Luthuli.
“The proceedings mark a significant moment in our nation’s quest for truth, justice and accountability. For decades their families, comrades and the broader South African society have lived with the pain of unanswered questions surrounding the suspicious circumstances of their deaths,” she said.
“The ANC as a people’s movement rooted in justice and dignity has consistently called for the matters to be fully ventilated so truth may triumph over silence and impunity.”
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