INQUEST INTO THE HIGHGATE MASSACRE ADJOURNED FOR FINDINGS

04 September 2025

INQUEST INTO THE HIGHGATE MASSACRE ADJOURNED FOR FINDINGS

The inquest into the 1993 Highgate Hotel massacre, one of the cases referred to the NPA by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), has been postponed to 01 December 2025 for the presiding judge to deliver his findings. The inquest commenced on 27 January 2025, continued from 24 to 28 March 2025, and reconvened from 11 to 13 August 2025, and set for the final session on Monday to Thursday. The prosecution and lawyers for the families have made their closing arguments after more than 30 witnesses testified before Judge Denzil Potgieter at the Special Tribunal in East London.

The witnesses include the investigating officer from the Hawks, 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 has 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, 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, and seven others were seriously wounded, suffering permanent injuries and disabilities. Three survivors and two family members of 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 this inquisitorial process’s findings will provide the 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