Police head says Biko was set on self-destruction

Press, 19 November 1977, Page 9

Police head says Biko was set on self-destruction

NZPA-Reuter Pretoria A South African security police chief has testified that the black leader, Mr: Steve Biko, tried to kill himself and was “apparently set; on self-destruction” before his death in detention. The version given by! Colonel Pieter Goosen, head of the Port Elizabeth security police, was strongly challenged by the lawyer for: Mr Biko’s family on the fourth day of the inquest into the death of the black leader. Mr Biko died in a Pretoria prison hospital on September 12, soon after he was interrogated by the security police in Port Elizabeth, on the south coast. Pathologists' reports have said he died of head injuries and the Biko family lawyer. Mr Sydney Kentridge has already said he will submit to the inquest that Mr Biko was “smashed up” while in custody. Mr Kentridge also said that the South African Justice Minister (Mr James Kruger) might have to be called as a witness. He des-’

leribed some of the Minister's statements in connection with the Biko case as being the result of a cover-up, and said the question arose of how high the I cover-up went. Mr Kentridge’s thorough cross-examination of Mr Biko’s interrogators provoked a protest from a lawyer for the police that he was- waging a vendetta against them. Mr Kentridge pursued the question of how Mr Biko came by the head wound found by medical examiners after his death. Doctors said the wound had been at least four days [old. according to Mr Kentridge. Bui the Port Elizabeth [security police have said they did not notice it the day before he died. Colonel Goosen said in an affidavit read out by Mr Kentridge that “the deceased was apparently set on selfdestruction even with his method of breathing during ) detention.” Colonel Goosen described [Mr Biko as breathing in an I unnatural rapid manner known as hyperventilation,

which could cause light-, headedness and could even lead to death. The colonel said that two; days after the interrogation, Mr Biko had been found in a! prison bath with his trousers on “in an obvious at-) tempt at suicide” and could have hit his head then. Mr Kentridge, who clashed several times with the colonel in cross-examination [ asked him if he was serious. The lawyer read out; statements from warders who found Mr Biko in the’ bath. One said Mr Biko had not been able to answer questions and had just given, “a sort of groan.” The other) said Mr Biko had not been able to walk unaided and two warders had had to help him to his bed. The colonel said there was a strong possibility that it [ had been a suicide attempt.; but Mr Kentridge suggested it sounded like the actions: of a man with brain damage. I “Did you even think of! the possibilty that Biko might have been damaged by your men, that he might have been assaulted?” Mri Kentridge asked. “There would have been; obvious signs.” said Colonel Goosen.

Ihe colonel also said in the statement that Mr Biko had gone on a hunger strike. Pressed for a definition of the term the colonel said he believed it could include a man who did noi eat because he was not hungry. Mr Kentridge said prison officers had stated that Mr Biko had refused soup, but had taken bread, coffee, and water. In one of the statements a warder said he had given Mr Biko a vitamin drink and two mugs of water. After that Mr Biko had said he wanted to kiss the warder because he had given him the drinks. “Does that sound much like a man on hunger strike?” the lawyer asked. In his remarks about Mr Kruger’s possibly being called as a witness, Mr Kentridge said a story given to the Minister that Mr Biko had gone on hunger strike before his death was a “cover-up.” Lawyers representing the Biko family have already submitted to the court a dossier containing transcripts of speeches and interviews by Mr Kruger, including references to the black leader’s having gone on hunger strike seven davs before he died.