The families of four anti-apartheid activists murdered in 1985 continue to suffer from “generational trauma” as they search for closure nearly four decades after the killings.
In emotional testimony during the inquest in the High Court in Gqeberha into the deaths of Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkonto and Sicelo Mhlauli, collectively known as the Cradock Four, Professor Derrick Swartz spoke of the lasting impact of the brutal murders on the families left behind.
“The situation has caused generational trauma for the families, as they do not have closure for what happened. What memory can the family tell their children about their grandfathers? I hope this inquest will bring along actual closure for the families involved,” said Swartz.
Swartz, who knew the men personally through their work with the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Eastern Cape, testified that the four were committed to peaceful resistance against the apartheid regime when they were abducted and killed on 27 June 1985.
“I have never forgiven those people for what they did. They could have done many other things to deter us, not kill us. I still think about it,” Swartz told the court, visibly moving family members Nyaniso Goniwe and Lukhanyo Calata to tears.
The court heard how the four activists were returning from a political meeting in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) when they were intercepted, likely by security forces using a vehicle with blue police lights. According to testimony referencing Truth and Reconciliation Commission statements, “The murder was intended to look like a murder of thugs, not of police.”
The family’s attorney told the court the activists “were stabbed multiple times, burnt and bodies disfigured,” details that elicited emotional reactions from family members present in the courtroom.
Swartz, who served as general secretary of the UDF in the Eastern Cape during the 1980s, recalled the night of the disappearance. “His wife, Nyami called to find out where he was, but they had already left. I knew something was wrong at that time. She started calling everywhere, police stations, hospitals, and from there, the rest is history.”
The inquest is examining why the Cradock Four became specific targets of the apartheid regime. Swartz explained that the Eastern Cape became “the epicentre of uprising because of the conditions people lived in and social deprivation. There was little to no basic services delivery in the area, which could have played a significant role in the revolution.”
He emphasised that contrary to regime propaganda, the activists were committed to non-violent resistance. “The UDF was about peaceful resistance. We were not unaware that the regime would use violence, but we wanted to have enough time to plan the new country we had envisaged,” Swartz testified. “Anything that said these four were violent was false.”
The four men were influential in mobilising communities through CRADORA (Cradock Residents Association) and the broader UDF movement. Their effectiveness in organising resistance to apartheid structures made them particular targets, according to Swartz.
“They are heroes in my eyes. They are the reason for democracy,” he said, describing their contribution to South Africa’s eventual transition to democratic rule.
For the children and grandchildren of the Cradock Four, however, democracy has not brought the full measure of justice or closure they seek. Many have grown up knowing their fathers and grandfathers only through stories and historical accounts, never experiencing the personal relationships that were violently taken from them.
The inquest continues tomorrow with additional witnesses expected to testify about the events surrounding the deaths of the four activists.
