South African prosecutors are to reopen an inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, nearly 50 years after he died in police custody. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced the decision on Wednesday, stating the aim is to present evidence that could determine whether the death resulted from any act or omission amounting to an offence.
Biko, founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, died in a prison cell in 1977 at age 30 after being beaten into a coma by police. His death sparked global outrage and made him an international symbol of resistance against apartheid. The inquest will be reopened on the 48th anniversary of his death, 12 September.
A 1977 inquest accepted police claims that Biko sustained injuries by hitting his head against a wall, and no one was prosecuted. However, in 1997, former police officers admitted assaulting Biko during Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. The commission refused them amnesty, ruling they lied and failed to prove a political motive.
The decision is part of a broader re-examination of apartheid-era deaths. In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched an inquiry into whether past ANC governments interfered with investigations into such crimes. In June, an inquest was opened into the deaths of the Cradock Four, four men killed by security forces in 1985.
