GQEBERHA - Activist Monde Mditshwa took the stand as the second witness in the reopened Steve Biko inquest on Monday.
Mditshwa detailed the brutal interrogation and torture he says he suffered at the hands of Security Branch police in 1977.
READ: Second witness expected to testify in Steve Biko inquest
His harrowing testimony is expected to provide the court with further insight into the treatment of Black Consciousness Movement activists by apartheid-era security police.
Mditshwa, now 71, said he is still haunted by memories of being taken to Room 619 at the former Sanlam building in Port Elizabeth, where he was interrogated and assaulted.
READ: Steve Biko inquest presses on despite family's concerns
He said the beatings intensified after he and fellow activists organised buses to Qonce for Biko’s funeral.
His testimony has shed light on the alleged abuse suffered by activists at the hands of apartheid security police.
Some Security Branch officers linked to the alleged attacks have since died. The High Court in Gqeberha also heard evidence from former officer Captain Daniel Siebert, who denied knowing Mditshwa.
On Tuesday, the inquest is expected to hear from the son of the late Dr Colin Hirsch, who examined Biko after he was severely beaten in detention.