[EXPLAINED] Who was Neil Aggett, and why is his death significant?
“It is of paramount importance to society that justice is not seen as a mythical concept, but it must be seen to be done."
An inquiry into the death of Neil Aggett is set to kick off on Monday.
This comes after the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola last year requested the Judge Presidents of the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Divisions of the High Court to each designate a judge to re-open the inquests in relation to the deaths in detention of anti-apartheid activists, Drs Neil Aggett and Hoosen Haffejee.
In April 2019, the former minister, Michael Masutha, announced that the ministry has authorized the NPA’s request in relation to the death in detention of the two activists.
This was in light of the findings of Judge Billy Mothle in the inquest of Ahmed Timol, which found he was murdered in detention.
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The Ministry of Justice said at the time that it wants to ensure that the justice system addresses Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) matters expeditiously.
“It is of paramount importance to society that justice is not seen as a mythical concept, but it must be seen to be done. Conceivably this principle becomes more pronounced where the families of apartheid-era victims are concerned. As the ministry we will be looking into TRC cases which fall under this category, to ensure that justice fully manifests itself,” said Minister Lamola.
Who was Neil Aggett?
According to the SA History Archive (SAHA), Aggett was taken into custody as part of a massive clampdown by apartheid security police on trade unionists and other activists.
He died less than three months later, on 5 February 1982, at the notorious John Vorster Square after 70 days of detention without trial.
Timol also died at John Vorster Square.
The story of Neil Aggett's death in detention is one of those included in SAHA's new online exhibit on the notorious John Vorster Square that appears on the new Google Cultural Institute website.
According to Wikipedia, Aggett was a medical doctor who worked in black hospitals in Soweto. He became active in the union movement that opposed the apartheid regime, leading to both him and his partner, Dr Elizabeth Floyd, begin harassed by the security police.
Apartheid police said that Aggett has committed suicide while in detention by hanging himself.
An inquest was conducted and reported on internationally with former detainees testifying in court to the torture they were subjected to at John Vorster Square.
The inquest found no-one was to blame for his death, a ruling that was reversed by the TRC in 1998.
Reverend Frank Chikane recalled seeing Aggett begin carried and dragged by warders in jail.
Bishop Desmond Tutu was among the thousands who attended Aggett's funeral in 1982 and the late musician Johnny Clegg included a tribute to Aggett in his song, Asimbonanga (Mandela) on the Third World Child album (1987).