Nephew of Anti-Apartheid Activist: Government Must Disclose Hidden History

Nephew of Anti-Apartheid Activist: Government Must Disclose Hidden History

By SONJA DECHIAN | Published: NOVEMBER 4, 2011

This week marked the 40^th anniversary of the death of anti-Apartheid activist Ahmed Timol in South Africa.  Timol was found dead five days after his arrest at a police roadblock in 1971, and was the 22^nd person to die in police detention in South Africa.

His nephew Imtiaz Cajee this week called for legislation that would allow access to documents about the lives and deaths of late activists. ‘Even though these comrades died so many years ago,’ he said, ‘families still don’t have closure, and it cannot come until the truth about their deaths is revealed.’

In an article about the anniversary, the Nelson Mandela Center of Memory reports, ‘a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearing in April 1996 failed to uncover new information about Timol’s death. It served only as an instrument for his mother, Hawa to relive her tragic ordeal through her testimony.’

The Archival Platform has published these articles in full.