Steve Biko's family wants a former apartheid spy back in the spotlight as the long-awaited inquest into the anti-apartheid activist's death gets under way, nearly five decades after he died in police custody.

Steve Biko's family, still seeking truth and answers nearly 49 years after he died in the custody of apartheid security forces, wants former apartheid spy Craig Williamson to appear before the reopened inquest into the anti-apartheid activist's death.

Williamson infiltrated anti-apartheid organisations while working as a spy for the apartheid government before his cover was blown in 1980. He testified last year at the third inquest into the deaths of the Cradock Four - Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli, Sparrow Mkonto and Matthew Goniwe - where he was questioned about his role in the apartheid security apparatus and his knowledge of anti-apartheid activists.

It was during those proceedings that Williamson testified that he had surveilled Biko.

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It is this testimony, together with Williamson's knowledge of the apartheid security machinery, that prompted the Biko family's lawyer, Ngqiqo Sakhela, to ask the court on Tuesday for a subpoena compelling him to testify in the reopened inquest into Biko's death.

The National Prosecuting Authority last September announced that the inquest into Biko's death had been reopened.

The proceedings were initially expected to get under way on Monday, 24 August, but were delayed due to uncertainty around the Biko family's legal representation.

The family...