Decades Later, Families of the Cradock Four Still Wait for Justice
After nearly 40 years, a South African court has reopened the painful case of the Cradock Four — four men who were abducted and murdered in 1985 during one of apartheid’s darkest chapters. The new inquest began on Monday, reigniting hopes for justice that have long been stalled.
Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkonto — teachers and a railway worker — disappeared on their way back from a political gathering in the town of Cradock. Days later, their bodies were discovered, tortured and burnt. It was a brutal message from the apartheid state, one that silenced four committed voices for freedom.
Representing the families in court, Advocate Howard Varney spoke of the decades-long wait for truth and accountability. “The deaths of the Cradock Four weren’t random acts of violence,” he said. “They were calculated decisions, carried out at the highest level of the apartheid security system.”
Although the Truth and Reconciliation Commission later denied amnesty to six men linked to the case, no one was ever prosecuted. According to Varney, the silence wasn’t just due to bureaucratic failure — it was compounded by political interference and institutional reluctance to act.
“The families have waited far too long. This inquest might be their final chance to uncover the truth and find peace,” Varney told the court in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
This is now the third time the case has come before a court. But for the families, the pain hasn’t lessened with time — only the urgency has grown stronger. Earlier this year, some of them joined a broader lawsuit against the government, accusing it of failing to act on multiple apartheid-era crimes.
President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to growing pressure by launching a judicial review into those delays. But for the loved ones of the Cradock Four, it’s not about inquiries — it’s about closure.
And after four decades, it’s long overdue.
