COURT FINDS THAT NO ONE CAN BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED FOR THE HIGHGATE HOTEL MASSACRE

02 December 2025

COURT FINDS THAT NO ONE CAN BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED FOR THE HIGHGATE HOTEL MASSACRE

“Even though the Highgate attack counts among the most devastating incidents of its nature at the time, we are no closer to complete answers more than 30 years later. The attack was meticulously planned and callously executed with the precision of highly trained operatives,” Judge Denzil Potgieter concluded at the closing of the inquest into the 01 May 1993 Highgate Hotel massacre.

In his judgment, the judge cited numerous examples of bungling, lapses, failures, and neglect as reasons for his findings, following five weeks of evidence from more than 30 witnesses. The inquest is one of the matters referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Witnesses who appeared during the inquest include the Hawks investigating officer, survivors, families of the deceased, ballistic experts, former police officers, commanders from the Azanian People’s Liberation Army, private investigators appointed by affected families, as well as a senior prosecutor. The court also conducted an inspection in loco at the scene of the incident.

The inquest stems from a decision by the Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv. Barry Madolo, to establish whether anyone can be held criminally liable for the attack.

On the night of the massacre, during the tense period leading up to the 1994 democratic elections, armed assailants opened fire at the Highgate Hotel’s bars in East London. Five people — Stanley Hacking, Douglas William Gates, Royce Michael Wheeler, Deon Wayne Harris, and Deric John Whitfield — were killed. Seven others were seriously wounded, sustaining permanent injuries and disabilities.

Three survivors and two family members of the victims testified during the TRC hearings. No amnesty applications were made by suspected perpetrators. While the attack was initially attributed to the armed wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), subsequent investigations could not confirm this.

The NPA hopes that the findings of this inquisitorial process will provide much-needed closure to the victims’ families, survivors, and the broader public.

Issued by:

Luxolo Tyali

NPA Regional Spokesperson

Eastern Cape Division

Tel: 047 501 2630

Cell: 073 555 9292

Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za