Cradock Four

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The Cradock Four (German: "Vier aus Cradock") were a group of four South African anti- apartheid activists from Cradock who were kidnapped and murdered on June 27, 1985 by members of the South African Security Police .

Activities of the Cradock Four

The Cradock Four were Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto, and Sicelo Mhlauli. They were members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and local anti-apartheid groups.

Matthew Goniwe (* 1947) was a teacher. In 1976 he was sentenced to four years imprisonment under the Suppression of Communism Act in Umtata for belonging to a group that had read books on communism . In 1982 he became acting headmaster of the Sam Xhallie Junior Secondary School in the township of Lingelihle near Cradock. He co-founded and first chaired the Cradock Residents Association (CRADORA) and the Cradock Youth Association (CRADOYA) in 1983. In May 1983, CRADORA protested to prevent the East Cape Administration Board from raising the rent in Lingelihle.

Fort Calata (* 1956) was also a teacher and, like Goniwe, taught at Sam Xhallie Junior Secondary School. His grandfather was James Arthur Calata , long time Secretary General of the African National Congress . Sparrow Mkhonto (* 1951) was the headmaster in Oudtshoorn , Sicelo Mhlauli (* 1949) was a railway worker and trade unionist. Calata and Mkhonto also belonged to CRADORA and CRADOYA, Calata was CRADORA's secretary. The UDF was founded on August 20, 1983; CRADORA and CRADOYA were accepted as member organizations in the UDF.

Goniwe was to be transferred from Lingelihle by the Department of Education under pressure from the government in Pretoria ; however, he refused and was released in January 1984. As a result, thousands of students in Lingelihle and the surrounding area began a 15-month school boycott. In March 1984 CRADORA and CRAYORA were banned ; Goniwe became the local organizer of the UDF. that same month Goniwe and Calata and Goniwe's cousin Mbulelo Goniwe were arrested. Lingelihle residents boycotted Cradock shops; then the shop of Matthew Goniwe's wife Nyameka in Lingelihle was devastated. The three detainees were released in October. In January 1985, all members of the Lingelihle Village Council resigned from office - up until then the only time in South Africa - and thus partially transferred power to CRADORA; CRADORA was responsible for paying out the pensions. In May 1985, the authorities dropped leaflets from helicopters in an attempt to break resistance from residents. Meanwhile, the people of Lingelihle voted for 40 “street committees”. This approach was seen as a model by the UDF and adopted in other townships. Police Minister Adriaan Vlok visited Lingelihle and among other things went to Calata's house.

assassination

On June 27, 1985, Matthew Goniwe, Calata and Mkhonto drove to Port Elizabeth in a car to meet the UDF organizer of the Eastern Cape region. Mhlauli had gone to meet a friend. The four turned down an offer to spend the night in Port Elizabeth. On the way back, they were taken from the car in a roadblock outside Port Elizabeth, kidnapped, tortured and killed. Their bodies were cremated and the remains were later found in a dump at Bluewater Bay near Port Elizabeth.

Funeral of the Cradock Four

The four men were buried in a joint celebration on July 20, 1985. Prohibited symbols, such as South African Communist Party flags , were displayed. The opponents of apartheid Beyers Naudé , Allan Boesak , Victoria Mxenge and Steve Tshwete took part as speakers . On the same day, then-President announced Pieter Willem Botha the state of emergency for South Africa.

The South African police at the time denied the perpetrators. In 1987 an investigation began (Inquest No. 626/87) , the result of which was announced on February 22, 1989. Accordingly, the four were killed by unknown people; nobody was to be held responsible for the act. A briefing ordering the killing of Matthew and Mbulelo Goniwe and Calata was later found in the Transkei . Another investigation ordered by then President Frederik Willem de Klerk revealed in 1994 that police forces were responsible for the crime; But names were not published. In December 1999 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission refused to grant an amnesty to seven named police officers from the Port Elizabeth Security Branch . However, no criminal prosecution took place. There are files and testimonies that show that the murder was planned in the State Security Council .

aftermath

In 1989, four black police officers involved in the murder were murdered by colleagues after they threatened to reveal details of the murder of the Cradock Four.

On the tenth anniversary of the funeral, President Nelson Mandela and Raymond Mhlaba laid wreaths on the graves.

In 2007 the Cradock Four Memorial was erected in Lingelihle . The monument consists of four towering concrete slabs. In 2019, the outbuildings, including the visitor center and exhibition rooms, were renewed and a Garden of Rememberance was created. The then tourism minister Derek Hanekom attended its inauguration.

In 2006 Matthew Goniwe was posthumously honored with the Order of Luthuli in silver, Calata, Mkhonto and Mhlauli received the order in bronze.

In 2010 the film The Cradock Four by David Forbes was released , which was shown at numerous festivals and also appeared in a television version.

In 2011, another memorial was erected in the Coega area where the bodies of the Cradock Four were found. The attorney general at the time, Jeff Radebe, attended the ceremony.

In 2018, Lukhanyo Calata, son of Fort Calata, said the re-investigation into the Cradock Four's death was being hampered by prosecutors and police officers - the National Prosecuting Authority and the South African Police Service . Two former employees of the security police are responsible for this.

There is the Matthew Goniwe Comprehensive Secondary School in Lingelihle and the Matthew Goniwe Memorial High School in Khayelitsha . The Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance of the Department of Education of the Gauteng Province is located in Vrededorp and Benoni .

literature

  • Lukhanyo and Abigail Calata: My father died for this. Table Mountain, Cape Town 2018, ISBN 9780624081647 .
  • Menzi Duka: Matthew Goniwe: on a South African frontier. Institute of Social and Economical Research, Alice 2018, ISBN 9780620781992 .
  • George Bizos : The Cradock Four: the last days of the generals. In: the same: No one to blame? In pursuit of justice. New Africa Books, Cape Town 1998, ISBN 0864863195 , pp. 163-228.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Matthew Goniwe. South African History Online , accessed September 18, 2019
  2. ↑ Curriculum Vitae from Fort Calata South African History Online , accessed September 17, 2019
  3. ↑ Gregory F. Houston: The national liberation struggle in South Africa: a case study of the United Democratic Front 1983-87. Routledge, London 2019, ISBN 9780429810718 . at books.google.de
  4. ↑ a b c Ra'eesa Pather: Justice for Cradock Four delayed. Mail & Guardian of January 18, 2019 (English), accessed September 18, 2019
  5. ↑ a b c Ten years on: who killed Matthew Goniwe? Mail & Guardian of June 2, 1995 (English), accessed September 18, 2019
  6. ↑ a b c d The Cradock Four. thecradockfour.co.za, accessed September 15, 2019
  7. ↑ a b c Sicelo Mhlauli. South African History Online , accessed September 17, 2019
  8. ↑ Lukhanyo Calata: ANC must prosecute Cradock Four killers or my father died in vain. capetalk.co.za, May 7, 2018, accessed on September 17, 2019
  9. ^ Cradock Four Garden of Rememberance. nhc.org.za, accessed September 15, 2019
  10. ↑ Neglected memorial to Cradock Four to receive a massive facelift. dispatchlive.co.za of April 5, 2016, accessed on September 17, 2019
  11. ↑ Matthew Goniwe 1947–1985. thepresidency.gov.za, accessed September 17, 2019
  12. ^ Cradock Four honored for their role in liberation struggle. nelsonmandelabay.gov.za, May 9, 2011, accessed September 17, 2019
  13. ↑ Matthew Goniwe Comprehensive Secondary School. schools4za.co.za, accessed September 18, 2019
  14. ↑ website mgslg.co.za (English), accessed on September 18, 2019