Former members of the Apartheid police Security branch and a prosecutor could face criminal action for their roles in the murder of Imam Abdullah Haron.
Judge Daniel Thulare overturned the findings of the initial inquest that ruled that Haron died of a heart attack after falling down stairs.
He said the activist was tortured to death by the officers.
In his scathing judgement, Judge Thulare said the officers deliberately withheld evidence before Magistrate Kuhn in 1970.
In fact, after four months of solitary confinement, Haron was taken to a still-unknown location for two days and subjected to psychological and physical torture.
Thulare has ordered the DPP to decide on prosecuting former policeman Johannes Burger and prosecutor JC van Graan.
Burger was Haron’s cell guard – and he testified in the re-opened inquest.
Some medical practitioners including pathologists were found to also have lied to the original inquest.
Thulare says action must be taken against them as well.
“The conduct of Dr Viviers, Dr Gosling, Dr Kosseaw and Dr Schwar deserve serious rebuke from the court and is referred to the South African Medical and Dental Council for attention”.
Meanwhile, Haron’s children said it’s sad that it took more than 50 years to hear the actual truth how their father died.
His son, Mohammed Haron says despite that, they are pleased that the courts have proved that the security branch officers murdered their father.
“We only feel that if this only could have happened decades ago, instead of 54 years down the line. If we only could have prosecuted each of those murderers who basically died”.
