The Murder of Ahmed Timol
My Search for the Truth
Imtiaz A. Cajee
October 27th, 2019 will mark the 48th anniversary of the murder of
political detainee Ahmed Timol. “Twenty-one years [since the TRC] that have led to this Pretoria courtroom, and to the appearance of this giant man who, 46 years ago, claimed to have been the only eye witness to Uncle Ahmed’s suicide.
“Joao Rodrigues was the state’s star witness at the 1972 inquest. He
would have been deemed pretty perfect for the job of covering the
murder of Uncle Ahmed. A white South African of Portuguese descent,
he worked as an administrative clerk at security police headquarters in
Pretoria. After more than 10 years of service he had ascended just one
step up the police hierarchy, to the rank of sergeant – proof, if nothing
else, of his loyalty to the cause for his role in covering up the murder of
Uncle Ahmed.”
