Where Justice Finally Spoke for Caiphus Nyoka, confronts one of the most significant apartheid-era justice developments in recent years. Marcelle Gordon speaks with eNCA Director of News Lukhanyo Calata about the landmark judgment handed down in the Caiphus Nyoka murder trial, in which two former apartheid police officers were finally found guilty nearly four decades after Nyoka’s killing.
With the sensitivity that this history demands, Calata reflects on the judgment as both a journalist and the son of Fort Calata, one of the Cradock Four. He discusses the emotional weight carried by families who waited decades for recognition, the failures that allowed perpetrators to live freely for so long, and the broader implications for South Africa’s unfinished Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases.
Together, they analyse the court’s findings, the significance of the judiciary naming apartheid-era crimes directly, and the enduring silence around the higher chains of command that sanctioned political assassinations. This conversation is not only about one judgment - it is about memory, accountability, and the possibility of building the society that victims like Caiphus Nyoka envisioned.
A powerful, reflective exploration of justice delayed, but not entirely denied.