NPA confirms dates for formal inquest into 1993 East London mass shooting

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will revisit the Highgate Hotel massacre, which claimed the lives of five people.

Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo approved the formal inquest in 2024 with the view to determine if anyone can be held criminally liable for the killings.

The shooting was initially blamed on the Pan Africanist Congress’s military wing. However, investigations yielded no convictions.

Killed on International Workers Day

Multiple gunmen opened fire on patrons at the establishment on 1 May 1993, killing five and injuring another seven.

Located in the East London suburb of Cambridge, the NPA states it was a bar known to be frequented by police officers.

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A phone call made before the attack was credited to a man named Carl Zimbiri of the Internal High Command of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA), yet this was never proven.

“APLA director of operations, Letlapa Mphahlele, denied knowledge of involvement in the attack,” confirmed Eastern Cape NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.

“Three survivors of the attack and two family members of the victims gave their testimonies at the TRC hearings.  However, no amnesty applications were made by suspected perpetrators,” Tyali added.

Closure sought

The NPA and the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) state the APLA had taken credit for several other attacks, but not the Highgate Hotel massacre.

Both entities hope that the inquest can bring closure to the families of the victims.

“It is with regret that this matter of such importance in the political history of the country, with the carnage it entailed, has not only gone unprosecuted, but completely unresolved,’ stated Tyali.

Survivors and families of the victims formed the Highgate Survivors Support Group in 2007 and have been relentless in seeking justice for their slain loved ones.

“The history of this matter is also an example of extraordinary perseverance by the survivors and the victims’ families, who have been tirelessly fighting for justice,” stated the FHR.

The inquest is scheduled to begin on 27 January and will be before a judge until 7 February at a Special Tribunal facility in Vincent, East London.

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