Following Justice Minister Ronald Lamola's decision to reopen the inquest into the murders of the Cradock Four, the African National Congress wants those responsible to be brought to book. The leading party has welcomed the re-opening of the inquest into the murders, following two previous inquests that didn?t materialise.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says it is in the interest of justice for all perpetrators who misled the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to be brought to book. "From tomorrow onwards, we will wake up and ensure that this inquest is successful and that it finally reveals the truth around the murders of the Cradock Four, in particular, who were some of those apartheid politicians who ordered these murders. In a nutshell, we welcome this announcement, and we are very pleased that we are finally here."

The four anti-apartheid activists, Mathew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto, Fort Calata and Sicelo Mhlauli, were headed home to Cradock from a meeting in Gqeberha in June 1985, when they were abducted by security police and murdered. Days later, their badly burnt bodies, with numerous stab wounds, were discovered in two different places. They became known as the Cradock Four. The four were political activists who played an immense role in the struggle for freedom. Goniwe was an educator who was also a rural organiser of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and a community leader, instrumental in the formation of the Cradock Residents Association (CRADORA) and the Cradock Youth Association (CRADOYA). He was also very active in the anti-apartheid movement during the Soweto uprisings in 1976. Calata was a close political ally of Goniwe. He was arrested after writing a letter to the town council informing them of the filthy streets and unsanitary bucket system. After his transfer to Cradock, he was also an active member of the UDF and worked alongside Goniwe. Mhlauli was a close childhood friend of Goniwe. He was headmaster of a secondary school in Oudtshoorn, a community leader and an active member of the UDF. He too had been constantly harassed by the security police. Mkonto was a railway worker who was instrumental in the formation of CRADOYA and CRADORA. He was the highest-ranking officer of CRADORA.