The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation welcomes the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to include crimes against humanity in the indictment of the accused in the COSAS 4 trial.  The provisional indictment was served on the accused when they appeared in court on Friday. 

In terms of the UN Convention on Apartheid (1973), apartheid was classified as a crime against humanity.  This recognised the systematic and systemic attack of the state on black people in South Africa.

This is an important decision because it clearly recognises that apartheid murder and torture were institutionalised, approved methods of policing employed by the state against civilians.  Some apartheid denialists continue to claim that such methods represented the actions of a few rouge policemen.

Recognising the systemic and institutionalised nature of apartheid and its continuing legacies in South Africa is key to both justice and reconciliation.  We believe that this is an important step to ensure that the perpetrators of violent crimes, committed under the auspices and with the full knowledge of government, are brought to justice.

The Institute, along with other civil society organisations, continues to support the prosecution of apartheid-era perpetrators.  We are distressed at the length of time it has taken to bring perpetrators to justice and we further call on government to ensure that prosecutions are not delayed.  This latest development, however, is a positive step which we welcome.