High-ranking officials in the apartheid police, Gerrit Erasmus and Izak “Krappies” Engelbrecht, have denied any involvement in the killing of Fort Calata, Matthew Goniwe, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkonto.

Erasmus and Engelbrecht took the stand at the Gqeberha High Court in the Cradock Four inquest. They both joined the proceedings virtually on Wednesday.

According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission transcripts, Erasmus was the one Jaap Van Jaarsveld reported to after his observation mission on Goniwe in Cradock.

In the same transcripts, Engelbrecht was accused of being a “sweeper” covering up the crimes committed by the security police.

Engelbrecht rejected allegations that he helped cover up the killings by destroying traffic fines that could link officers to the crime.

“Those people make these allegations; they’ve just said that I am involved. They did not disclose the date, the time, or the places where it actually happened because they don’t have it; it is thumb sucking information that they’re giving. That’s information that have no proof whatsoever, and if you do that …of reason that is completely wrong.”

 Cradock Four Inquest | Erasmus, Engelbrecht deny murder allegations: