A Durban magistrate ruled that no one was to blame for the death of a young dentist, Dr. Hoosen Haffejee, who died in police custody in August 1977.  It is found that he had committed suicide.

The death of Dr Hoosen Mia Haffejee while in police detention on 2 August 1977 was symptomatic of the brutality employed by the security police during Apartheid. Dr Haffejee was arrested by the police on suspicion of being a trained saboteur and of plotting to overthrow the state. According to police witnesses, Dr Haffejee became uncooperative while being questioned by the police regarding his involvement in activities to overthrow the state. According to the officers on duty on the night of his death, they discovered his 'suicide' at about four in the morning on 3 August 1977. An inquest into his death conducted during February 1978 concluded that he had committed suicide.  On the 15 March 1978 the magistrate in charge of the investigation ruled that Dr Haffejee's death was due to suicide.

References:

1. Sithole.J, The ANC Underground in Natal as published in South African Democracy Education Trust, The Road to Democracy, in South Africa Vo12 (1970-1980), Paarl: South Africa, Zebra Press