By Akani Nkuna
The African National Congress has praised the high court in Johannesburg’s ruling that includes charges crimes against humanity of against the Cosas 4 murder accused.
The court on Monday dismissed an attempt by former apartheid askari Ephraim Mfalapitsa and police branch member Christiaan Rorich to have the charges dropped as the alleged offences occurred more than 20 years ago and were beyond the statute of limitation.
They told the court that alleged crimes had not been officially classified as crimes against humanity at the time.
“This judgment marks a decisive step forward in the long and painful journey toward truth, justice, and accountability for the families of our fallen young revolutionaries, Comrades Eustice ‘Bimbo’ Madikela, Peter “Ntshingo” Matabane, Fanyana Nhlapo, and Zandisile Musi who was injured at the time but has since passed away,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Cosas 4 were kidnapped and murdered in 1982 by the apartheid security forces. As members of the Congress of SA Students they were targeted for their political activism.
The case has been delayed for years.
Bhengu-Motsiri commended the unwavering determination of the victim’s families, who have endured over 40 years of unhealed grief, noting that their pain was deepened by the refusal of those responsible to come forward during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.
“As we approach the trial phase, the ANC reaffirms its full support for the families and for the principle of accountability. We urge all South Africans to draw strength and vigilance from this moment,” she said.
The ANC said that South Africa’s hard-won freedom had come at the cost of lives lost in struggle for democracy and that justice remained a moral obligation to those who paid the ultimate price.
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