The public lecture held in memory of Nokuthula Simelane highlighted how the impact of apartheid era crimes continues to be felt in contemporary times.
- Nokuthula Simelane was only 23-years old when she was abducted.
- Some say the TRC has failed a lot of victims and their families.
- At the same time, Steve Biko’s 1977 Inquest was reopened this week at the Gqeberha High Court.
Imagine your loved one leaving the house under false pretences and never making it home; 49 years later and there is still no clarity on where she was or what happened to her.
On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Ditsong National Museum of Military History hosted a public lecture titled The Unfinished Business of Justice: Remembrance, Resilience, and the TRC questioning the continued failure to resolve apartheid era cases. The public lecture was given by the museum’s curator for insignia, Tinyeko Ndhlovu, to honour of the life of anti-apartheid student activist Nokuthula Simelane.
Simelane (23), code name ‘Mpho’, was an Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) operative. On September 10, 1983, Simelane met Norman Mkhonza, an ‘askari’ (state spy) linked to the Soweto Intelligence Unit. As a result, Simelane was abducted by the Apartheid Security Branch and brutally tortured for an extensive period and eventually murdered.
A police docket was opened in 1996, followed by a short-lived investigation with no leads. Despite years of legal action and attempts by her family to uncover the truth, no one has been arrested or held accountable. It was only in 2019 that Simelane’s death certificate was issued.
Simelane was a Bachelor of Administration in Social Science, majoring in Public Administration, student at the University of Swaziland (currently University of Eswatini), at the time of her disappearance, and just a month shy of graduating.
Discussing her legacy, Ndhlovu said, “Simelane’s life and disappearance speak to the courage of young women in the liberation struggle, the enduring need for truth about enforced disappearances, and the pursuit of justice for apartheid-era crimes. Her story remains a reminder that South Africa’s freedom was secured through profound personal sacrifice.”
A major reflection from the day was the failings of the TRC in providing justice for victims. “The TRC has failed us. A lot of families’ history is suppressed,” said Ndhlovu.
More notably, the public lecture highlighted the ongoing pattern of unresolved TRC cases resurfacing in contemporary South Africa, such as Steve Biko’s 1977 inquest being reopened on Monday 31 August in the Gqeberha High Court.
Asked about the significance of younger generations knowing this history, Ndlovhu said “history repeats itself. It is very important for young people to know the history of the country for what it was.”
FEATURED IMAGE: A photo of the public lecture presentation which includes a photo of Nokuthula Simelane. Photo: Sikelelekile Pahlana
RELATED ARTICLES:
- Wits Vuvuzela, SLICE: The filtered past: why our history education needs the hard truth, April 2026
- Wits Vuvuzela, Walking through history: Experiencing the Apartheid Museum on Human Rights Day, March 2025
- Wits Vuvuzela, Doubts raised over student role in prosecuting apartheid crimes, June 2021
