Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has approved the national director of public prosecutions’ request for a joint inquest into the deaths of five youngsters killed by the apartheid-era SADF during an attack on the home of PAC member Sigqibo Mpendulo.
On October 8 1993, Mzwandile Mfeya and Sandiso Yaso, both 12, 16-year-old twins Samora and Sadat Mpendulo, and Thando Mthembu, 17, were brutally murdered at 47 AC Jordan Street in Northcrest, Mthatha. The victims were pupils preparing for their final exams.
The house belonged to the twins’ father, Mpendulo, a PAC activist.
The attackers are believed to have been targeting members of the erstwhile PAC military wing, the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla), who had allegedly hidden an arms cache at the house. The door was kicked open and the soldiers opened fire on the occupants of the house, killing all of them.
On the same day the SADF issued a statement taking responsibility for the attack. The raid occurred after Apla members were arrested and allegedly tortured by the police security branch, which ordered them to give information about Apla activities.
“During the inquest, which will sit in the Mthatha high court on a date still to be determined by the judge president, the state will provide evidence of numerous witnesses, including relatives of the deceased,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.
The goal was to present to the court evidence that would enable it to make a finding about whether anyone could be held criminally liable for the deaths.
“The NPA and its partners will continue their efforts to address the atrocities of the past and assist in providing closure to the families of the victims of these crimes and society,” Tyali said.
TimesLIVE
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