Former apartheid security policeman Daniel Petrus Siebert testified at the reopened inquest into Steve Biko’s death, recounting details of the anti-apartheid activist's final detention. Siebert stated that one officer struck Biko with a cut garden hosepipe during a period he described as "extremely vague" due to the passage of time. He recalled Biko was considered "aggressive" and had been "fighting again" following an interrogation session. The testimony sheds new light on the circumstances surrounding Biko's death while in police custody in 1977. Siebert, now 80, provided his account as part of the renewed judicial examination into the events of 1977.
Details of Interrogation
Daniel Petrus Siebert, now 80, recounted details of an interrogation during which several Security Branch officers wrestled with Steve Biko on 6 September 1977. Biko had been brought from the police station to the Security Branch headquarters in the Sanlam Building in Central, Gqeberha, earlier that day, specifically on 6 September 1977. Siebert confirmed that during this interrogation, several Security Branch officers wrestled with Biko. During the struggle, Captain Jacobus Johannes Oosthuysen Beneke emerged and struck Biko with his shoulder, pushing him against a wall. Siebert testified that Biko hit his head against a wall during this struggle at the Security Branch headquarters. He further stated that Gideon Johannes Nieuwoudt also struck Biko with a cut garden hosepipe. Siebert's testimony detailed the physical altercations that took place, including specific actions by Captain Beneke and Nieuwoudt.
Siebert testified that Biko hit his head against a wall and fell to the floor during the struggle. He described the period of interrogation as "extremely vague" due to the passage of time since the events of 1977. Siebert further recalled that Biko was considered "aggressive" and had been "fighting again" following an interrogation session. The former apartheid security policeman's testimony sheds light on the violent interactions Biko experienced while in police custody. His account detailed the physical altercations that took place, including specific actions by Captain Beneke and Nieuwoudt. The struggle in the Sanlam Building, which resulted in Biko hitting his head, was a key point of Siebert's testimony, offering a direct account of the physical force used against the anti-apartheid activist. The re-opened inquest aims to establish the full circumstances surrounding Biko’s death, and Siebert's direct observations of the interrogation methods and Biko's physical state are central to this process.
Siebert's Role and Uncertainty
Daniel Petrus Siebert could not state whether the incident he described caused the head injury that led to Steve Biko’s death five days later. Siebert claimed that during an interaction, Biko became angry, pushing or throwing a chair towards him, and then made a movement as if to strike him. Following this, Siebert instructed that Biko be handcuffed. The former apartheid security policeman also stated he could not confirm if this was the only occasion on which Biko had been assaulted. He described the period of interrogation as "extremely vague" due to the passage of time since the events of 1977. Siebert further recalled that Biko was considered "aggressive" and had been "fighting again" following an interrogation session. Siebert's inability to definitively link the described incident to Biko's fatal injury, or to confirm the frequency of assaults, shows the challenges of piecing together events decades later. His testimony noted the chaotic and violent nature of Biko's detention.
On September 11, 1977, Siebert received instructions to collect Biko from Port Elizabeth Prison and transport him to Walmer police station. Later that same afternoon, Piet Goosen instructed Siebert to assist in transporting Biko to Pretoria. Siebert, along with Gideon Johannes Nieuwoudt, Lieutenant Wilken, and Lieutenant Fouche, then transported Biko to Pretoria. They handed Biko over to prison officials at approximately 9 am upon their arrival in the city. This journey, undertaken by Siebert and his colleagues, was Biko's final transport before his death. The sequence of events, from Biko's detention in Gqeberha to his transfer to Pretoria, forms a critical timeline in the inquest.
Historical Context and Previous Findings
Steve Biko died in police custody on 12 September 1977 at the age of 30, following his detention in Gqeberha. The investigation that led to Biko's detention concerned pamphlets distributed in Gqeberha residential areas, which encouraged mass mobilisation and sought to overthrow the government. Former apartheid security policeman Daniel Petrus Siebert, who served in the Security Branch from 1967 to 1981, was based in Gqeberha (then Port Elizabeth) during this period. His tenure in the Security Branch spanned a significant period of apartheid rule, placing him directly within the system responsible for Biko's detention and death.
A formal inquest in November 1977 accepted the version that Biko had sustained his injuries after hitting his head against a wall. However, the five Security Branch officers implicated in the incident – Snyman, Siebert, Benecke, Marx, and Nieuwoudt – later applied for amnesty before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). They admitted to fabricating aspects of their accounts of what happened to Biko during his detention. Siebert described the period of interrogation as "extremely vague" due to the passage of time. He also recalled that Biko was considered "aggressive" and had been "fighting again" following an interrogation session. Biko died in Pretoria the following day after being transported from Gqeberha. The TRC process revealed the extent to which the initial inquest had been compromised by false testimony, noting the need for a renewed examination of the facts. The admissions made during the amnesty applications provided a stark contrast to the findings of the 1977 inquest, which had absolved the Security Branch officers of responsibility.
The Reopened Inquest
The National Prosecuting Authority reopened the inquest into Steve Biko's death in 2025, initiating a new judicial examination of the circumstances surrounding the anti-apartheid activist's demise in police custody. This reopening signifies a renewed effort to establish a full account of the events that led to Biko's death in 1977. The inquest has been ongoing, with various testimonies presented regarding his detention and the interactions he had with Security Branch officers. The proceedings are scheduled to continue, with the next session set for 7 September 2026. This ongoing process aims to provide clarity and address unanswered questions from the initial 1977 inquest, which concluded that no one was responsible for Biko's death. The decision by the National Prosecuting Authority to reopen the inquest decades later shows the enduring demand for justice and accountability in one of South Africa's most significant apartheid-era deaths. The current proceedings are meticulously re-examining evidence and testimonies, including those from surviving former Security Branch members like Daniel Petrus Siebert, to ensure a full and truthful account is finally established. The legal proceedings are a testament to the nation's commitment to confronting its past and seeking truth for victims of apartheid-era atrocities.
