In 1971, 29-year-old Ahmed Timol, a Roodepoort teacher and anti-apartheid activist fell from the 10th floor of the security police building in Johannesburg. The security police soon coined the phrase ‘Indians can’t Fly’. A police inquest concluded that Timol committed suicide while under interrogation, but questions remain whether he may have been pushed, or tortured to death and thrown from the window.
To commemorate Freedom Day, Special Assignment brings you the riveting, internationally acclaimed documentary, INDIANS CAN’T FLY, directed by award winning director Enver Samuel. The film aims to make the general public aware of the heroic deeds of a true South African unsung hero.
It has been suggested that the roadblock at which Timol was captured was set up specifically to trap him – which could mean his murder was premeditated by police. Nobody responsible for his capture and interrogation has ever been held accountable. The documentary is seen through the eyes of Imtiaz Cajee, Ahmed Timol’s nephew.
The documentary was an official selection at the 2015 Durban International Film Festival and the Toronto South Africa International Film Festival. It won two South African Film and Television Awards in 2016.
Watch INDIANS CAN’T FLY on Special Assignment this Sunday 20h30, SABC 3.
