Dust in the eyes: the murder of Rick Turner was not supposed to be solved

Rick Turner - a Utopian philosopher and anti-apartheid activist - was murdered in his Durban home on January 8th, 1978. While everyone suspects that Turner was assassinated by the apartheid security services, successive waves of investigations over the past 45 years have all failed. This process has been described as akin to, having dust thrown in your eyes, repeatedly. Recently, in response to provocative new testimony from a retired Security Police officer, the inquiry into the murder of Rick Turner has been re-opened. In this moment of re-opening, of tentative hope, it is useful to recount the paths trodden by past investigations, so that we might avoid past mistakes. The men responsible for apartheid have made every effort to evade justice. If their system and their worldview have been defeated and repudiated, we ought to be able by now, finally, to at least say what happened, and why.

Automated summary

Rick Turner, a Utopian philosopher and anti-apartheid activist, was murdered in 1978 and investigations into the case have been inconclusive. Recently, new evidence from a retired police officer has prompted a reopening of the inquiry, bringing hope for uncovering the truth.