Three former police officers under the apartheid regime will appear on trial from this Friday, November 18, for a crime committed 27 years ago. They are accused of killing a black union leader, known for his criticism of the segregation regime in place until 1994. They appear before a court in Benoni, east of Johannesburg. This trial is one of the rare cases reopened by the South African justice system several decades after the events.
The three former police officers appeared briefly on Monday, November 18, in the morning at the Benoni court, east of Johannesburg. The hearing will resume this Tuesday.
The case dates back to August 23, 1987. Three former South African police officers are accused of having burst into the home of a young trade unionist, Caiphus Nyoka, in the middle of the night and shooting him dead. Then aged 23, he was known in the eastern metropolitan area of Johannesburg for his public criticism of apartheid.
Tried for the murder of Caiphus Nyoka
The head of this anti-terrorist unit, Johan Marais, has already been tried and found guilty on November 12. “ Johan Marais and several members » of the security police « met to discuss a plan to kill Nyoka », recalls the prosecution. They decided to organize a raid on his home “. Around 2:30 a.m., these men broke into his home, heading towards the room he shared with three comrades. “ After identifying him, they took his friends out of the room and shot him nine times », killing him instantly.
After pleading guilty, he was released on bail and ordered not to communicate with the three other accused. His sentence will be pronounced at a later date.
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