Biko family sues for $200,000

Press, 6 January 1978, Page 5

Biko family sues for $200,000

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg The question of exactly how the South African black leader Mr Steve Biko met his death in police detention is likely to be thrashed out again in public with a demand by his family for 178,000 rand (SNZ200.000) in damages. When the family first disclosed they were seeking compensation from the Government for Mr Biko’s death last year, it was believed their main grounds for the action would be negligence by the authorities. But lawyers for Mr Biko’s widow and his mother have said that despite an inquest verdict last month clearing the security police of blame, they would also be arguing that he died as a result of head injuries inflicted by the police. Letters demanding the compensation have been served on the South African police commissioner (General Gert Prinsloo) and the Health Minister (Mr Schalk van der Merwe), the lawyers said.

If the claims are not met within a month, Dr van der Merwe and the Justice Minister (Mr James Kruger) will be sued and in a civil court case the Biko lawyers would be entitled to summon witnesses they were not allowed to call to the inquest. At the inquest, the chief magistrate of Pretoria (Mr Marthinus Prins) decided not to call the chief of the security police (Brigadier C. F. Zietsman). He also rejected moves by the Biko lawyers which could have brought Mr Kruger himself into the hearing. The Biko lawyers maintained during the inquest that the leader of the Black Consciousness movement died of brain injuries last September 12 after being “smashed up” by security policemen interrogating him in Port Elizabeth. But in a terse verdict after the three-week hearing Mr Prins said: “Available evidence does not prove the death was brought about by any act or omission by any person.”