South Africa is preparing to revisit one of its darkest chapters as prosecutors move to reopen the inquest into the 1977 death of Steve Biko, the iconic anti-apartheid leader whose life and legacy have reverberated far beyond the country’s borders. The decision, announced by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and set to be officially registered in court on September 12, 2025—the 48th anniversary of Biko’s death—marks a significant step in the nation’s ongoing struggle to reckon with the crimes of apartheid.
Steve Biko, founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, was just 30 years old when he died in police custody. Arrested in August 1977 near Grahamstown, Biko’s ordeal began with his detention by apartheid security forces. According to the Associated Press, he was allegedly beaten and tortured while kept shackled and naked at a police station, and later at police headquarters by members of the notorious police Special Branch. After more than 20 harrowing days in custody, Biko was found unconscious and transported over 1,000 kilometers (about 621 miles) to a prison hospital in Pretoria. He died on September 12, 1977, still naked and with his legs shackled in a cell. The official cause of death was listed as brain injuries and kidney failure.
The story doesn’t end there, of course. The 1977 inquest into Biko’s death accepted the police account that he had sustained his fatal injuries by banging his head against a wall during a scuffle with officers. No one was prosecuted. This verdict, as reported by The Guardian, was widely dismissed by the public and human rights groups as a cover-up. The truth, many believed, was far more sinister. And they had good reason: decades later, at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings in 1997, former police officers implicated in Biko’s case admitted to assaulting him. The TRC, however, refused to grant them amnesty, concluding that they had lied in their testimony and failed to prove a political motive for the killing.
Biko’s death was not just a national tragedy; it became a global rallying cry against apartheid. His story inspired Peter Gabriel’s haunting song “Biko,” an anthem of resistance, and the 1987 film “Cry Freedom,” in which Denzel Washington portrayed the activist. Biko’s legacy, as AP News notes, remains a symbol of the struggle for justice and equality in South Africa and beyond.
The reopening of the inquest comes as part of a broader effort by South African authorities to re-examine the suspicious deaths of anti-apartheid activists who perished in police custody. In recent years, new inquests have been launched into the deaths of other prominent figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Luthuli (1967), lawyer Griffiths Mxenge (1981), and the Cradock Four (1985)—a group of activists believed to have been abducted, tortured, and killed by police. The Cradock Four case, reopened in June 2025, serves as a grim reminder that many of those responsible for such crimes have died without ever facing prosecution.
South Africa’s post-apartheid journey has not been without criticism. While the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was lauded for its attempt to expose the crimes of the past and promote healing, many families of victims have expressed frustration over the lack of accountability. According to AP News, dozens of activists died in police custody during apartheid, and inquests at the time almost always exonerated security forces. After the official end of apartheid in 1994, some implicated officers were granted amnesty, but prosecutions have been rare. Successive governments have faced accusations of allowing these cases to slip away, leaving many wounds unhealed.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to these concerns by launching an inquiry into allegations that investigations into apartheid-era crimes were intentionally blocked. As reported by The Guardian, this inquiry—announced in April 2025—aims to determine whether previous ANC-led governments interfered with the investigation and prosecution of such cases. The move follows mounting criticism from victims’ families and human rights advocates who argue that justice delayed is justice denied.
The NPA has been clear about its intentions in reopening the Biko inquest. In a statement quoted by The Guardian, the authority explained, “The main goal of reopening the inquest is to lay before the court evidence that will enable the court to make a finding … as to whether the death was brought about by any act, or omission, which prima facie involves or amounts to an offence on the part of any person.”
For many South Africans, the new inquest represents not only an opportunity to set the historical record straight but also a chance for the Biko family—and the nation at large—to find some measure of closure. The NPA echoed this sentiment, stating that the effort was intended “to address the atrocities of the past and assist in providing closure to the Biko family and society at large.”
Yet, the road to justice remains fraught with complications. It remains unclear whether any of the police officers implicated in Biko’s death are still alive to face possible prosecution. In the case of the Cradock Four, all the policemen believed responsible have since died, leaving only the historical record to bear witness to their crimes.
The reopening of these cases has also sparked debate about the pace of South Africa’s efforts to confront its past. While some applaud the renewed focus on accountability, others criticize the authorities for taking so long to act. As AP News notes, the passage of time has only made it more difficult to secure justice, with key witnesses and perpetrators passing away and evidence fading into history.
Despite these challenges, the decision to revisit the Biko case has been welcomed by many as a long-overdue step towards reckoning with the legacy of apartheid. Biko’s life and death continue to inspire new generations of activists, artists, and ordinary citizens who see in his story a testament to the enduring power of conscience and the unyielding pursuit of justice.
As South Africa prepares to mark the 48th anniversary of Steve Biko’s death, the reopening of his inquest serves as a powerful reminder: the struggle for truth and accountability is never truly over. For a country still wrestling with the ghosts of its past, the quest for justice remains as urgent—and as necessary—as ever.
