Nearly five decades after the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, South Africa has reopened an inquest into the circumstances surrounding his killing.

Biko, who founded the Black Consciousness Movement, died in police custody in 1977. At the time, authorities claimed he had sustained fatal injuries after “banging his head against a wall.” However, widespread evidence later suggested he was brutally tortured while in detention.

In 1997, former apartheid-era officers admitted to lying under oath and covering up the true cause of Biko’s death during Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. Their applications for amnesty were denied, leaving unanswered questions about who should be held accountable.

The renewed inquest seeks to revisit the case and pursue long-delayed justice

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