28 February 2007
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will be exhuming the remains of
African National Congress (ANC) member Looksmart Ngudle. He was the first
security detainee to die under detention laws in 1963. He, together with a
group of Umkhonto we Sizwe members from Cape Town, were detained and taken to
Pretoria where they were interrogated and severely tortured by members of the
police force.
His involvement in politics began in the 1950s and he was an active member
of the ANC, South African Communist Party (SACP) and the South Africa Congress
of Trade Unions (SACTU).In May 1963 an order banning Ngudle from participating
in political activities was issued and he was confined to the Wynberg
Magisterial district in Cape Town. But two months later police swooped on his
place of hiding and that is when he was arrested and moved to Pretoria and held
at the Pretoria North police cells. Tragedy struck when he was found hanging in
his cell on 5 September 1963.
An inquest was held and the lawyers for the Ngudle family argued that if he
had committed suicide it would be as a result of severe torture.
The NPA began investigations last year to locate his remains at the request
of Ngudle's son Siyanda. After going through a number of records they were able
to locate his remains.
The exhumation will be conducted by Luis Fondebrider, President of the
Argentine Anthropology Forensic Team, together with Morongoa Mosothwane from
Wits (Archaeology Dept), Thabang Manyapelo (Anatomy Dept, University of Cape
Town).
The exhumation will take place as follows:
Date: 1 March 2007
Time: 08h00-13h00
Venue: Mamelodi West Cemetery
For more information please contact:
Phumzile Kotane
Tel: (012) 845 6141
Lucinda Moonieya
Tel: (012) 845 6123
E-mail: media@npa.gov.za
Issued by: National Prosecuting Authority
28 February 2007
