Historical Papers, Wits University

AK3388

Ahmed Timol Inquest, records, 1971-1972

Digital collection

The Inquest records in this collection were donated by Advocate M.A. Loonat to the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, who subsequently made the collection available to Historical Papers for digitisation. The original records are held at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Johannesburg.

Please note: A substantial part of the hearings, being pages 1-652, are missing.

BACKGROUND

Ahmed Timol, a teacher from Roodepoort, was a student activist and later became a member of the South African Communist Party. He went to London in 1967, where he took up a teaching post, supporting his family in South Africa. He also met with former comrades and friends from the Communist Party and the ANC who selected Ahmed Timol to attend the International Lenin School in Moscow from February to October 1969. Back in London, and before leaving to go back to South Africa, he received training in underground political work. He returned to South Africa in February 1970, resuming his teaching post in Roodepoort.

Ahmed Timol was arrested at a roadblock in October 1971, together with Salim Essop, and subsequently taken to the John Vorster Square police station. He was severly tortured by the security police and died in police custody on the 27 October 1971, by falling from the 10th floor to his death.

An Inquest was opened on 1 December 1971 at the Johannesburg Magistrate by J.J.L. de Villiers, with D.W. Rothwell and A.L.T. Beukes as Public Prosecutors, and Advocate I.A. Maisels QC and Advocate G. Bizos, and instructing attorneys M.S.H. Cachalia and M.A. Loonat presenting the Timol family. The hearing had to be adjourned due to Advocate Maisels request to access documents in the case. After lengthy interventions hearings were resumed in April 1972. The post mortem was carried out by the pathologist Dr Nicolaas Schepers, assisted by Dr J. Gluckman at the request of the Timol family.

The Magistrate announced his findings on the 22 June 1972, saying that Ahmed Timol had committed suicide whilst in police custody, and that nobody was to be blamed for his death.

Reference is made to our collections A2505 Dr Jonathan Gluckman; A2892 Ahmed Timol photographs; and A3205 Ahmed Timol scrapbooks.

COLLECTION

A

INQUEST NO. 2361/71

Inquest: Act No. 58 of 1959, form J.56 to open the Inquest No. 2361/71 into the death of Ahmed Timol, dated 1 December 1971

B

EXHIBITS

B1

Annexure to Form J.56, listing the names of the affidavits produced by the Public Prosecutor for admission as Exhibits

B2

Exhibits "A-L"

Including Affidavits by L.G. Kleyn; A.A.C. Thinnies; W.P. van Wyk; R. Bean; N. Els; J.Z. van Niekerk; J.H. Gloy; Y.A. Timol; H. Timol; M. Khan; J.J. Liebenberg

B3

Exhibits "M-W"

Including Affidavits by J.A. Rodrigues; J.J. Schoon; C.P.F.J. van Rensburg; M.D. Ras; F.R. Bouwer; J.W.S. Louw; C.W.St. John Pattle; G.J. Deysel; Dr. V.D. Kemp; J.J.F. Mostert; J.P. Fourie; Y.A. Timol

B4

Exhibits "X-AA8"

Including Affidavits by Dr. N.J. Schepers; P. van der Merwe and photograhs of the scene.

Please note: The photos of the deceased are not included, and page numbers 60-67 have been assigned to the photos of the scene.

B5

Exhibits "BB-KK"

Including Affidavits by Maj. J.F.C. Fick; J.P. Le Roux; P.J. Du Preez; Genl.Maj. C.F. Buys; F.J. Fourie; and copies of a diagram of how the Communist Party operates

B6

Exhibits "LL-OO"

Including Affidavits by C.J. Dirker and copies of an 'Inkululeko' pamphlet

B7

Exhibits "PP1-11"

Letters by Timol

B8

Exhibits "QQ1-23"

Letters by Stephanie

B9

Exhibits "RR1-7"

2 typescripts entitled 'Augmented meeting'; 'Purpose of Code systems'

B10

Exhibits "TT-YY"

Including: copies of ANC pamphlets; 'Sons and daughters of South Africa' pamphlet; FRELIMO memorandum; Affidavits by P.M. Steyn; G.J. van Rensburg; G.P. van Tonder

C

INVESTIGATION DIARY, 1971

Pages C1-6 of the Investigation Diary into the death of Ahmed Timol at the John Vorster Square police station, listing the events and names of officials who submitted affidavits, as well as other items which would become Exhibits. All entries with dates, 28 October - 3 December 1971

D

EVIDENCE

D1

Court resumes, 12 June 1972

Including handwritten Index to Record to pages which are missing from the collection. Further included pages 653-663 Discussion in Court after and referring to a joint meeting, which took place on the 24 May 1972, and which seemed to have been held around terminology used in the post mortem.

D2

Evidence by Dr. Nicolaas J. Schepers, 12-13 June 1972

Including pages 664-783

D3

Evidence by Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, 13 June 1972

Including pages 783-841

D4

Evidence by Frederik J. Swart, 13 June 1972

Including pages 841-857

D5

Evidence by Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, continued, 13 June 1972

Including pages 857-884