The re opening of the inquest into the death of anti apartheid ANC activist, Ahmed Timol, in 2017, was designed from the outset to set a legal precedent for the prosecution of former police officers, despite the findings of the TRC. That was the prediction made on this forum by Front National almost exactly a year ago.
And here we have it.
Joao (Jan) Rodriguez, now 80 years old, was a young security police officer at John Vorster Square on the 27th of October 1971 when Ahmed Timol jumped to his death from the 10th floor of the building. Timol was an ANC activist who studied with Thabo Mbeki at the Lenin University in Moscow in 1969 and joined the underground struggle.
He was arrested and brought in for questioning. At the inquest into the incident in 1972 it was found that Timol had committed suicide, but the inquest was reopened last year and judge Billy Mothle of the North Gauteng High Court reversed the findings of 1972 and decided that Timol was indeed murdered by the police who threw him out of the window and also perverted the course of justice by lying about it.
Mr Rodriguez never applied for amnesty with the TRC as the case was never regarded as murder.
This morning an 80 year old man stands before court on a charge of murder, 47 years after the incident.
There are still many questions left to FN regarding this affair:
1) Why would the security police murder a prominent suspect such as Timol? He could have been the source of valuable information into the (then) illegal activities of the ANC.
2) Why would the legal system in South Africa back then prefer Timol to be dead? A treason trial with the evidence collected from the accused would have served a much better purpose as deterrent to other terrorists.
3) Why would the Nationalist Government want Timol dead? A trial, prosecution and conviction would serve as extremely valuable propaganda material, both in the outside world and inside the country.
All in all, Timol was worth a lot more alive rather than dead.
To the current regime, quite the opposite counts. This affair allows them to dig up the old bogey man of apartheid to again fuel the flames of hatred with those who remember as far back as 42 years ago, and to incite racial hatred with those who are too young to remember.
The prosecution of mr Rodriguez will in all probability be the first of many to come. The witch hunt has only started and time alone will tell whether the amnesty granted by the TRC will be of any protection to anybody in future.
The ANC only knows one thing: Burning Rodriguez at the stake will secure votes. And from their point of view, the life of an 80 year old man who dedicated his life to serve his country and the safety and security of his people, is a small price to pay for power.
Read the original article Front Nasionaal SA
South Africa Today – South Africa News
