Today marks 35 years since the Trojan Horse Massacre that rocked Athlone in 1985.
Activist, and artist, Kenny Alexander says that the tragedy of that massacre had served as a catalyst for a further uprising, but it also caused a rift in the community. The area near Alexander Sinton High School and its surrounds had become a gathering place for anti-apartheid protests. The Apartheid police had hidden a truck and ambushed the mostly youth gathered in the area on October 15.
The police attack killed three young people, namely, Jonathan Claasen (21) , Shaun Magmoed (15), and Michael Miranda (11). Several other youths were injured.
[Picture: Cape Town Daily Photo]
In March 1988, an inquest was launched to investigate the actions of the massacre.
It was ruled that the police acted unreasonably and thirteen men were charged with the incident. The case was then referred to the Attorney General of Cape, who refused to prosecute them.
After the families launched a private investigation into the case, it ended with the exoneration of the accused men in December 1989.
