44-year quest for the truth

That was the finding of an inquest 44 years ago and it has stood despite the demise of apartheid and rumours that the activist was tortured and security branch police threw him from an office window.
Now Timol's family is hoping to get the inquest reopened and his death declared unnatural.
Yesterday the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation hosted an event marking the inquest records into the teacher's death being made available to the public through a digital archive on the 44th anniversary of the activist's death.
The event was at the Johannesburg Central police station where, 44 years ago to the day, Timol died.
"We are working with the Foundation for Human Rights to re-open the case and reverse the finding that he committed suicide," said Mohammad, Timol's brother.
Timol was the 22nd person to die in detention in 1971. According to police statements submitted to the inquest, he was arrested at a roadblock on October 22 1971. Five days later he was dead.
Imtiaz Cajee, Timol's nephew, said his uncle was a member of the SA Communist Party and had been distributing banned literature.
Yesterday, human rights lawyer George Bizos, who represented the Timol family at the inquest, said there was evidence that Timol had been tortured.
"There were 14 injuries identified, some more than eight days before his death, some six days, some four days and some very recently."
Lawyer Julian Knight believes re-opening the inquest will be difficult: "The only basis for re-opening an inquest is new evidence," he said