Reopened Steve Biko inquest resumes in Gqeberha
The Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha is due to resume the reopened inquest into Steve Biko’s 1977 death in police custody.
The reopened inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko is due to resume in the Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha on Monday.
The inquiry is examining the circumstances surrounding Biko’s death in police custody on 12 September 1977.
The National Prosecuting Authority announced in 2025 that the inquest would be reopened. The Justice Department later confirmed that it would fund the proceedings.
Proceedings were postponed in August after the Biko family’s legal representative asked for more time to study thousands of pages of records and arrange translations of Afrikaans material.
The family’s legal team has also indicated that it wants former apartheid-era security police officer Craig Williamson subpoenaed to testify.
The original inquest, held in 1977, did not lead to a prosecution. The reopened process is intended to reconsider the evidence before the court and determine the circumstances of Biko’s death.
No finding has yet been made in the reopened inquest.