Timol family’s urgent plea to South Africans
UNRESOLVED: Ahmed Timol, who died while in police custody in 1971. UNRESOLVED: Ahmed Timol, who died while in police custody in 1971.
This week is the last opportunity for the full truth to emerge.
The Timol family has echoed inquest Judge Billy Mothle’s plea for people with knowledge of the true events surrounding the death of Ahmed Timol 46 years ago to urgently make contact.
The reopened inquest into the anti-apartheid activist’s death in detention has recalled three witnesses (two forensic pathologists and a former security policeman) for further examination on Thursday and Friday.
Judge Mothle wants to further probe the evidence of two witnesses who claimed Timol fell from the 10-storey John Vorster Square building in the morning, and not in the afternoon as police have said.
The judge also wants to hear about the timing of the event from a third witness, who has been subpoenaed to testify.
Extending the reopened inquest’s sitting by a week presented a final window of opportunity for the real truth to emerge, said Timol’s nephew, Imtiaz Ahmed Cajee.
“The media has been very generous in its coverage of the inquest, and from the number of messages we’ve been receiving it is clear that South Africans have really taken our quest for justice for Uncle Ahmed to heart.
“Last week a former security policeman made contact to say he had been watching the inquest and believed the police witnesses were lying.
“The lawyers are speaking to him.
“But covering up his murder did not just involve the handful of security police directly involved in his torture and assault.
“It required a much broader conspiracy of silence that has endured since before his capture at a roadblock in October 1971 until today.
“The conspiracy included police, members of the state’s medical and pathology services, and the justice department.
“It could only succeed in a society profoundly fearful of the police, especially its Security Branch, as ours was under apartheid.
“In 1972, when the original inquest ruled my uncle’s death a suicide, it wasn’t easy for witnesses to come forward as they risked being intimidated and harassed.
“They shouldn’t have those same fears in 2017,” Cajee said.
Ahmed Timol’s brother, Mohammad Timol, attended every day of the original inquest from April22 until June22, 1972.
“It was a tightly woven web of deception, pure apartheid farce,” he said.
“We understood the rules: everyone involved in describing, arguing and deciding the cause of a black anti-apartheid activist’s death while in the hands of the security police was white.
“Regardless of the improbability of their stories or the extent of their lies, the court would believe them.
“I suppose we hoped that someone, somewhere, would make a mistake, and an undeniable truth would slip out - but their lies have held until today,” Mohammad said.
“We are very grateful to the National Director of Public Prosecution, Shaun Abrahams, for reopening the inquest.
“We know that justice will be served this time.
“Our parents are no longer here to witness the record being set straight, but we know that, in heaven with Ahmed, they will share our comfort and relief.”
Anyone with information about Timol’s death is urged to contact Cajee, using the e-mail address: i.ahmed.timol@gmail.com.
The reopened inquest resumes for the cross-examination of witnesses on Thursday and Friday at the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria, in Room 2D.
Members of the public are welcome to attend and proceedings commence at 10am.
This will be followed by a week for legal teams to prepare final arguments.