Author: Unknown
Published on: 24/01/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
25 survivors and victims’ families are suing President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government for damages worth $9m. They have accused the government of “gross failure” to prosecute the six apartheid-era security officials allegedly responsible for the murders, and for “suppressing” inquiries into the case. In the Cradock community in the 1980s, the four activists were known for fighting against gruelling conditions for Black South Africans. The Craddock Four became icons, with T-shirts and posters bearing their names. Apartheid government officials denied involvement in the killings. In 1992, leaked documents revealed that the four had been killed by “unknown persons”. Officials said the men failed to make a “full disclosure” about the circumstances of the killings. The TRC required accused perpetrators to fully disclose events they were involved in to be considered for a pardon. At the time, family members described their happiness at the decision. "We never interfered in the work of the National Prosecuting Authority," he said in a statement in March 2024. "The executive never prevented the prosecutors from pursuing the cases referred to by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission" "If the investigations were stopped, they were stopped by the NPA and not at the behest of the Government," the suit specifically named President Ramaphosa. The funds would be available to all other victims and survivors of apartheid-era political crimes, Geldenhuys added. The Cradock Four were important figures during the apartheide era, but the fact that their deaths were never fully prosecuted has held the interest of many South Africans. In 2023, an official inquiry was opened for the first time. In total, the case could see the deaths of nearly 30 people newly investigated.
Original: 1464 words
Summary: 292 words
Percent reduction: 80.05%