Ramaphosa: Unveils Nokuthula Simelane Justice Pledge for Truth

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to uncover the truth, recover the remains, and ensure accountability for Nokuthula Simelane's 1983 disappearance.
• Simelane, abducted by apartheid security police over four decades ago, was 23 years old and her remains have never been found.
• Former Soweto Intelligence Unit commander Willem Coetzee admitted to her capture and torture at the TRC, but criminal charges against him are still pending.
• Ramaphosa rejected the idea that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded South Africa's transitional justice process, emphasizing 'unfinished business'.
• The President asserted the nation's responsibility to confront the past and ensure justice for Simelane and other activists.

This Ramaphosa Nokuthula Simelane justice pledge signifies a deep national responsibility to ensure she can finally be laid to rest with dignity, and that accountability is achieved for those who caused her disappearance.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has recently made a solemn commitment that South Africa will not cease its efforts until the full truth surrounding the disappearance of Nokuthula Simelane is revealed, her remains are located, and all individuals responsible are brought to justice. This significant declaration, made at the inaugural Nokuthula Simelane Memorial Lecture held at the University of Mpumalanga on Thursday, underscores a renewed focus on unresolved historical injustices.

Simelane, who was just 23 years old when she vanished, was abducted by apartheid security police more than four decades ago. Her family, including her mother, sister, and uncle, were present at the lecture, enduring the profound pain of not having a grave where they can properly mourn their loved one. The President's address directly confronted this enduring sorrow, asserting that the nation owes the Simelane family nothing less than a complete account of what transpired.

Ramaphosa articulated a firm stance, stating that the search for the truth about Nokuthula would not be abandoned. This **Ramaphosa Nokuthula Simelane justice pledge** signifies a deep national responsibility to ensure she can finally be laid to rest with dignity, and that accountability is achieved for those who caused her disappearance. The commitment extends to providing the family with the closure that has been denied to them for generations.

The tragic circumstances of Nokuthula Simelane's disappearance began in 1983 when she was lured to Johannesburg, subsequently tortured, and then vanished. Despite extensive efforts over the decades, her remains have never been recovered, leaving a gaping wound in the hearts of her family and the nation. The President highlighted the profound indignity suffered by the Simelane family, who for over forty years have been unable to perform the basic human right of burying their daughter.

During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) proceedings, Willem Coetzee, a former commander of the Soweto Intelligence Unit, admitted to his involvement in Simelane's capture and torture. However, Coetzee denied any role in her death. Later revelations from one of Coetzee's colleagues contradicted this, indicating that Simelane had indeed been murdered and her body buried in the vicinity of Rustenburg in the North West province. The nation continues to await the outcome of the criminal charges that were subsequently brought against Willem Coetzee, a stark reminder of the lingering legal battles from the apartheid era.

President Ramaphosa emphatically rejected the notion that the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission brought South Africa's transitional justice process to a definitive close. He challenged the prevailing view that it is time to move on, labeling it as a perspective that must be actively resisted. This stance underscores the ongoing legal and political discourse around the 'unfinished business' of the TRC, particularly concerning cases like Simelane's.

The President stressed that the nation has a moral imperative to uncover the truth surrounding the disappearance of Nokuthula Simelane and other activists who sacrificed their lives in the struggle against apartheid. He warned that forgetting the atrocities of the past would not only diminish the memory of suffering and sacrifice but also risk the repetition of such acts and absolve perpetrators of their moral burden. This commitment to **South Africa apartheid era justice** means that the pursuit of **Nokuthula Simelane remains recovery** and accountability for all apartheid-era crimes remains a national priority, signaling potential re-energized investigations and legal actions for historical human rights cases.

This signals a renewed political commitment to pursuing justice for apartheid-era disappearances, indicating that lawyers involved in historical human rights cases or criminal prosecutions related to that period should anticipate potential re-energized investigations or legal actions. It also reinforces the ongoing legal and political discourse around the 'unfinished business' of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Source: Original reporting via SABC News