Thulisile Mapongwana
The long-awaited inquest into the 1993 Highgate Hotel massacre in East London has officially begun at the city’s Special Tribunal in Vincent.
The inquest, scheduled to sit from January 27 to February 7, aims to shed light on the tragic events that claimed five lives and left seven survivors with life-altering injuries.
The victims, who were patrons at the time, were shot dead with high-velocity rifles in what was described in court as a “calculated move of terror.”
The survivors and families of the deceased have been waiting over three decades for answers. The lives of Boyce Michael Wheeler, Derek John Whitfield, Stanley Hacking, Deon Harris, and Douglas Gates were tragically lost on May 1, 1993, while Neville Beling, Karl Weber, Billy Baling, Nkosinathi Alfred Gontshi (now deceased), Doreen Roussouw (now deceased), Megan Boucher, and Charles Bodington survived the attack.
In their opening statements, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that one of the investigating officers would testify on Monday, followed by a video of the massacre’s aftermath, which will be shown in court on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the court will also conduct an in-loco inspection at the Highgate Hotel to examine the crime scene. Following this, survivors and families of the victims will provide their testimonies, and two police witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday.
Judge Denzil Owen Potgieter, presiding over the inquest, described the massacre as “undoubtedly a careless and cowardly deed” in his opening remarks.
In their opening statements, legal representatives for Beling and Weber alleged that tear gas was used during the attack by assailants wearing face masks and balaclavas. They also noted that the lever of a Soviet hand grenade was recovered from the scene, although no evidence of detonation was found.
One of the investigating officers, Captain Vaughn Peterson, testified under cross-examination that he was dissatisfied with how the investigation was handled over the years. Peterson, who took over the case in 2021, revealed numerous challenges, including unsigned and uncommissioned witness statements, and a lack of identification numbers for key witnesses.
“Many of the witnesses have since passed away, while others remain untraceable,” Peterson said.
He also confirmed that two previous investigating officers had died and that the last arrest in the case was made in 1994 but was withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
Peterson further testified that investigators had initially considered a connection between the Highgate Hotel massacre and three other attacks, including the King William’s Town Golf Club Massacre and the Bahá?í Church shooting. “Similar methods were used, but individuals linked to those incidents applied for amnesty through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and no evidence directly tied them to the Highgate attack.”
He added that a projectile from the case is being transported from Gqeberha for examination, although he fears the evidence’s integrity may be compromised due to prolonged storage in plastic.
Still under cross-examination, the families’ legal representative highlighted the absence of key fingerprints from evidence, suggesting possible foul play or manipulation during the investigation. Peterson reluctantly admitted that “the possibility of a cover-up cannot be excluded.”
He also noted that one of the attackers was shot during the incident; however, “blood recovered on the scene was not successfully linked to a suspect or the deceased.”
Meanwhile, survivors and families of the victims expressed relief that the inquest has finally begun after 32 years.
Family spokesperson, Theresa Edlmann, shared their sentiments after the first day of proceedings. “We are extremely encouraged by the information that has started coming to light already. It vindicates our call for this inquest for so many years.” She said the families were looking forward to more information coming to light
Edlmann also noted that it was a day of mixed emotions. “This has been such an encouraging day for us, that there is clear evidence emerging about the things we have been concerned about for many years.”
The inquest will continue on Tuesday with the conclusion of Peterson’s evidence, a video of the massacre aftermath, followed by the in-loco inspection at Highgate.
