A woman killed in 1983 by a group of four former members of a security forces group during the apartheid-era in South Africa are said to go under prosecution for the charges filed among them. At the time of her disappearance, the victim was a recent university graduate and acted as a courier for the African National Congress; which was banned at the time.
According to earlier reports, the four men were part of a police unit called the Soweto Special Branch. The National Prosecuting Authority reported that the woman, Nokuthula Simelane, had been under their custody when she was reported to be kidnapped and tortured.
When the apartheid-era ended in 1994, accused perpetrators sought amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. The body was in charge of investigating the past atrocities of these men and decided whether or not amnesty was to be granted. On Tuesday, three out of the four men suspected to be responsible for Simelane's death have already applied for amnesty and attested to her kidnapping. As for the murder of Simelane, the fourth suspect is set to be charged with that along with a kidnapping case.
Simelane acted as an "underground operative" for the African National Congress. When she was caught, she was illegally detained for a week at a Johannesburg-based police barracks. There, Simelane was the subject of torture under questioning. She was later transferred to a Vlakplaas farm where she spent the next several weeks being interrogated and tortured.
A couple of years after she disappeared, Simelane's family attracted the media's attention to help in looking for her. Photos of Simelane was sent to different newspapers which led to a policeman identifying her. The policeman previously worked at the Vlakplaas police station, who claimed that the last time he saw her, Simelane had already fallen ill due to the assaults she endured in the hands of her captives.
Until today, her body remains to be missing. Despite this, the NPA has faith that a successful prosecution can be given to the suspects. The four men are set to appear in front of a Pretoria court on Feb. 26 to be trialed for the kidnapping and murder of Simelane.
