The reopened inquest into the 1977 death of Black Consciousness Movement founder Steve Biko is set to resume this Tuesday at the High Court in Gqeberha, South Africa (SA), after the state agreed to step in and fund the proceedings.
The inquest faced an initial roadblock when Legal Aid SA turned down a funding application from the Biko family. A mandatory financial assessment revealed that the income and assets of Biko’s widow, Ntsiki Biko, exceeded the maximum limit required to qualify for state-funded legal aid.
To keep the landmark case on track, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development intervened to cover the family’s legal expenses.
Speaking outside the court, Biko’s son, Nkosinathi Biko, expressed frustration that argument over resources delayed the start of the hearing, describing the dispute over funding as an unnecessary indignity for a family seeking historical accountability.
He added that he deliberately kept his mother away from the financial wrangling, highlighting that the family should not have to carry the cost of seeking justice for an apartheid-era murder.
–ChannelAfrica–
