Neville Beling, the disabled survivor of the Highgate Hotel massacre. Picture: Supplied
The PAC’s armed wing, the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla), still insists it was never involved in the attack on patrons at a hotel in 1993
THE inquest into the Highgate Hotel massacre in East London, which occurred more than three decades ago, is set to start on Monday.
According to the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), the inquest will start on Monday until February 7 in the Eastern Cape city.
Attackers killed four people in May 1993, seven others were injured, and two have since died.
The foundation has stated that the identities of the attackers and their motives remain unknown, despite more than three decades of advocacy by survivors and families of the deceased for justice and closure.
”The inquest marks a significant step forward in uncovering the truth behind the massacre,” the FHR explained.
Survivors Neville Beling and Karl Weber, and Lyndene Page, sister of the late Deon Harris, who lost his life in the attack, have been at the forefront of the pursuit for justice.
”Their story is an example of extraordinary perseverance and a tireless fight for justice,” the FHR said this week.
The FHR and law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr asked the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to hold an inquest into the Highgate Massacre.
Almost three decades later, the motives and identities of the shooters remain unknown, according to the foundation.
It also noted that days after the attack, allegations were raised that Apla carried out the attack.
However, despite acknowledging other attacks carried out by Apla operatives, the organisation has consistently denied responsibility for the Highgate massacre.
Apla stated that the modus operandi used in this attack differed from its own.
During proceedings at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, survivors detailed their experience during the massacre, but no amnesty applications were ever received for the attack.
Former PAC president and Apla director of operations at the time of the massacre, Letlapa Mphahlele, said the attack was conducted by Apla.
He said he has been in touch with the NPA and the victims’ families and will testify on behalf of victims’ families.
Mphahlele said the massacre showed the apartheid state’s complicity in the murder of its citizens.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za
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