Cradock Four inquest yet to hear when Eugene de Kock able to testify

The Cradock Four inquest is yet to hear how long it could take for former Vlakplaas commander and notorious apartheid assassin, Eugene de Kock, to get the green light to testify on some apartheid atrocities.

De Kock was scheduled to take the stand at the inquest before the Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha in the coming days, but his lawyers told the court on Tuesday that the man known as 'Prime Evil' has been hospitalised due to possible heart failure.

The reopened inquest was set up to establish if apartheid security branch police or any other persons can be held liable for the deaths of some anti-apartheid activists.

De Kock was granted amnesty in 1999 for defeating the ends of justice after it was widely accepted that while he knew about the Cradock Four murders, he was not personally responsible for them.

Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkhonto were abducted and assassinated by police in 1985

While De Kock’s medical records have not been fully disclosed publicly, the court was initially told he could need up to six months to recover from possible heart failure.

His lawyers later confirmed his doctors have ordered two to four weeks of rest.

Judge Thami Beshe has since ruled that proceedings will go ahead without De Kock for now.

This is the third attempt at uncovering the truth after the 1987 and 1993 inquests.