GQEBERHA - The inquest into the death of anti-Apartheid hero Bantu Stephen Biko has been marred by delays and tensions between the Biko family and the presiding judge.
The Biko family’s lawyer, Ngqiqo Sakhela, pushed for a further postponement, saying more time was needed to prepare.
The family accuses Judge Isaac Mandodo of being unreasonable.
They say they were notified at the last minute that the inquest would proceed, despite unresolved funding issues and their appeal for state assistance to cover legal costs.
READ: Steve Biko’s death: High Court inquest reopens 1977 mystery
The postponement bid was denied on Wednesday.
Despite the family’s concerns over more than 1,000 pages of records from the 1977 inquest, the first witness took the stand at the Gqeberha High Court on Thursday.
The documents must be painstakingly translated from Afrikaans into English -- a complex and time-consuming process.
Nkosinathi Biko says the judge is deliberately trying to frustrate the family and the legal process.
The NPA called Sergeant Fundiswa Dingiswayo, the investigating officer, to testify about details she uncovered in police records relating to Steve Biko’s death.
The inquest continues.