It has been 35 years since the cold-blooded murder of the Cradock Four.

The activists Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto, and Sicelo Mhlauli were abducted by the notorious apartheid police. Their bodies were found burnt near Port Elizabeth. Their deaths were regarded as a turning point in the struggle for freedom. The apartheid-era President PW Botha declared a state of emergency on the day of their funeral.

Now the story of the four men has always been shrouded in mystery but that changed to an extent in 2010. The film The Cradock Four was eventually released after being delayed for five years.

This due to the film’s director needing to fight to gain access to the case records.