Apartheid Era Policeman Joao Rodrigues Dies, Charged with the Murder of Ahmed Timol
- Accused murderer of anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol, Joao Rodrigues died on Monday evening in his home
- The murder occurred approximately 50 years ago when Rodrigues was a police officer of the Apartheid security branch
- Timol's family members have mixed emotions about Rodrigues' death because he has never been prosecuted he is accused of
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PRETORIA - Former Apartheid-era security branch police officer Joao Rodrigues reportedly died on Monday night, 6 September after suffering an unspecified illness.
According to News24, his legal representative Ben Minnaar told the publication that Rodrigues died in his home in Pretoria after spending weeks in hospital.
Source: Twitter
"He went home and was home for a week or two. He was recuperating and feeling stronger, and last night he had a setback and passed away," said Minnaar.
Rodrigues' death comes almost 50 years after the murder of anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol, for which he was accused and charged off. He had sought a permanent stay of prosecution for the murder of Timol, however, his application was denied by the Supreme Court of Appeal in June.
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Rodrigues dies with details of Timol's murder
Timol's nephew Imtiaz Cajee says he has mixed emotions about Rodrigues' death, largely due to the fact his family may never really know what happened to Timol, according to IOL.
“He is going to his grave with his secrets about what happened that day in room 1026 at John Vorster Square,” said Cajee.
Rodrigues has previously confirmed that he was the last person to see Timol, who he had been interrogating. He stated that when he left Timol, he was fine and in good health. Rodrigues then claimed that Timol jumped out of the room he had been interrogating him in.
Cajee says the South African government's failure to prosecute Rodrigues for the murder is part of the reason Timol's family will never know what really happened to him.
Almost four years ago Judge Billy Mothle ruled in favour of Rodrigues' prosecution, however, a trial never ensued. Rodrigues had issued another bid with the Constitutional Court for a stay of prosecution. He died before ConCourt could rule on the matter.
ANC supports families of 1982 Cosas Apartheid era murdered victims at Johannesburg High Court
Briefly News previously reported that the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg began proceedings into the trial of the three members of the Congress of South African Students began on Monday.
The murder and attempted murder trial of the Cosas Four is finally happening almost 40 years later and families of the deceased may finally get answers about what happened to their loved ones who were killed in an explosion, according to a report by eNCA.
uMkhonto weSizwe member Tlhomedi Ephraim Mfalapitsa is being accused of allegedly conspiring with the Vlakplaas Security Branch to use explosives to assassinate the Cosas Four.
Despite the fact that the incident occurred in February 1982, the National Prosecuting Authority remains confident in the prosecution of the case against the accused.
Source: Briefly News
