South Africa Reopens Steve Biko Death Inquest 48 Years On

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – On Friday, September 12, 2025, precisely 48 years after the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, the South African government officially reopened the inquest into his 1977 demise. This pivotal decision aims to finally establish the truth behind the Black Consciousness Movement leader’s death and provide much-needed closure to his family and the nation.

Biko, arrested in Eastern Cape province for violating a ban on his movements, died on September 12, 1977, at the age of 30, outside a Pretoria hospital. While official reports cited extensive brain injury and acute kidney failure, apartheid police maintained he sustained injuries by hitting his head against a prison cell wall during a scuffle – a narrative widely disputed and viewed by many as a cover-up for brutal torture and murder.

Luxolo Tyali, a spokesman for South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), confirmed the reopening is an effort “to address the atrocities of the past and assist in providing closure to the Biko family and society at large.” Despite a 1977 inquest and subsequent examinations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1997, the full circumstances of what transpired in “room 619” – where Biko was held naked and shackled for nearly a month – have remained a contentious mystery.

The move to revisit Biko’s case comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa initiated an inquiry in April into potential blockages of apartheid crime prosecutions. It also aligns with other ongoing re-examinations of high-profile cases, such as that of the “Cradock Four,” signaling South Africa’s renewed commitment to achieving justice for past human rights abuses.

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