Steve Biko inquest halted as family warns: ‘We have been through that’
source: African Insider
published: September 2026
Image Credit: Simon Howden at www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The reopened inquest into the death of Black Consciousness Movement leader Steve Biko has been temporarily halted after his family asked the High Court for more time to prepare for the proceedings.
The family’s legal team told the court on Wednesday that it needed more time to consult with Biko’s widow and prepare its case.
The application comes due to concerns about the readiness of the parties involved, including outstanding evidence, legal representation and the translation of documents from
previous proceedings.
Lumumba’s Africa explores the powerful legacy of Bantu Stephen Biko, the visionary leader behind the Black Consciousness Movement. Biko’s transformative ideas reshaped resistance in apartheid South Africa and continue to inspire generations.
The Biko family’s lawyers have been working to secure funding and senior counsel for the inquest. The Justice Department has since indicated that it will cover the family’s legal costs.
However, the legal team still needs to translate records from the original 1977 inquest and the 1997 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) proceedings, much of which was conducted in Afrikaans.
The translations are needed to allow the family to compare the evidence presented during the previous proceedings with evidence expected to be heard in the reopened inquest.
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