Law firm sets Cradock Four deadline for NPA

A law firm representing the families of the 'Cradock Four' has demanded the NPA decides by no later than 10 July on whether or not to prosecute the known suspects in the apartheid-era murder of the four men. Should no decision be made by close of business on that day, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) will launch legal proceedings in the High Court to compel the NPA to make a decision, says a TimesLIVE report. Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli – known as the Cradock Four – were brutally murdered near Port Elizabeth by members of the Security Branch 34 years ago. In a statement, the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), which has been actively involved in supporting the families of the Cradock Four, said the investigation docket went missing from the offices of the NPA nearly two years ago. ‘During 2019, the FHR’s private investigator reconstructed the docket, which has been shared with the NPA and the SAPS. However, there has still been no decision by the NPA,’ it said. CDH, which acts pro bono for the Cradock Four families, demanded in writing that the NPA investigate how the criminal docket went missing. The firm said the opportunity to hold anyone accountable for one of the most notorious crimes committed in SA history fades with each passing day.