Steve Biko Inquest Postponed to January 2026 Amid Legal Funding Delays for Former Officers

Inquest into Anti-Apartheid Icon's Death Delayed

The highly anticipated reopened inquest into the death of prominent anti-apartheid activist and Black Consciousness Movement leader, Steve Biko, has been further postponed to January 30, 2026. The decision was made by the Gqeberha High Court in South Africa, marking another delay in the decades-long quest for justice surrounding Biko's death in police custody.

The inquest, which was initially reopened on September 12, 2025, the 48th anniversary of Biko's passing, had previously been adjourned to November 12, 2025, for case management. The latest postponement aims to allow two former police officers, identified as 'persons of interest' in the matter, to secure state funding for their legal representation.

Legal Funding for Persons of Interest

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Eastern Cape, the two surviving former officers, reportedly in their eighties, have applied for state assistance to cover their legal costs. This funding must be confirmed before the inquest can proceed, ensuring all parties have adequate legal counsel. The NPA has emphasized its commitment to addressing past atrocities and providing closure to the families of victims.

The legal counsel for the Biko family, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, has reportedly identified the two former security policemen as Johan Beneke and Daniel Siebert.

A Legacy of Resistance and Unanswered Questions

Stephen Bantu Biko, born on December 18, 1946, was a pivotal figure in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. He founded the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) in the late 1960s, advocating for the psychological empowerment and self-reliance of black people. His philosophy, encapsulated in the slogan 'black is beautiful,' aimed to instill pride and dignity in a society designed to oppress.

Biko was arrested on August 18, 1977, and died in police custody on September 12, 1977, at the age of 30, after sustaining severe injuries. The apartheid authorities initially claimed he died from a hunger strike, a claim widely refuted. An independent autopsy, requested by the Biko family, later revealed he died from extensive brain damage.

The Path to Reopened Justice

A formal inquest in November 1977 concluded that no one was to blame for Biko's death, a ruling widely condemned as a 'whitewash' that cleared police of any wrongdoing. Despite evidence presented during the 15-day inquest detailing his brutal treatment, including being chained, stripped naked, and left in urine-soaked blankets, the presiding magistrate accepted the police's version of events.

In 1997, during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings, five former special branch officers involved in Biko's detention applied for amnesty. They admitted to assaulting him but maintained his death was accidental. Their amnesty applications were denied due to contradictory evidence and a lack of proven political motive. However, no one was prosecuted in relation to Biko's death following the TRC's findings.

The current reopening of the inquest follows approval from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and the National Director of Public Prosecutions, a request supported by the Biko family's legal representatives. The primary goal is to present evidence to the court to determine 'whether the death was brought about by any act, or omission, which prima facie involves or amounts to an offence on the part of any person.' This renewed effort is part of a broader initiative to re-examine high-profile apartheid-era deaths and provide long-awaited closure to affected families.