Eugene de Kock, a former apartheid police commander in South Africa known as “Prime Evil,” testified at an inquiry into the 1985 killing of four anti-apartheid activists, known as the Cradock Four. De Kock denied involvement in their deaths but revealed that police had a list of 6,000 activists marked as “known terrorists” to be killed if not arrested. The Cradock Four, including three teachers, were abducted and murdered by police, with their bodies found burned. De Kock, who was convicted in 1996 for numerous crimes during apartheid and released on parole in 2015, admitted to being asked to help cover up the killings. Despite two previous inquiries suspected of being cover-ups, a new investigation was launched due to pressure from the victims’ families. The six former policemen involved were never prosecuted, highlighting ongoing issues of justice for apartheid-era crimes.
QUESTION: How might the continued pursuit of justice for apartheid-era crimes impact the healing and reconciliation process in South Africa today?
Notorious apartheid police commander “Prime Evil” testifies on killings
