Investigators have linked a member of Vlakplaas, the paramilitary death squad, to the killing of 15 young people
A former police operative appeared in South Africa’s Benoni Regional Court on Thursday to face charges stemming from three notorious apartheid-era operations examined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
According to The Star, the 74-year-old accused is facing 15 counts of murder, alongside charges of kidnapping, arson, unlawful possession of explosives, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and defeating or obstructing the administration of justice.
His court appearance follows an extensive investigation by the Hawks into apartheid-era atrocities and forms part of efforts to hold those implicated in unresolved crimes accountable, more than three decades after the alleged offences were committed.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation remained committed to pursuing apartheid-era cases.
”In its ongoing pursuit of accountability for apartheid-era atrocities, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) continues to fulfil its mandate,” Mogale said.
The investigation was conducted by the Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Crimes Against the State section and centres on three incidents previously brought before the TRC: Operation Zero Zero, the Nietverdiend 10 and the KwaNdebele 9.
Investigators have linked the former Vlakplaas operative to the deaths of 15 young people associated with the three operations.
According to the Hawks, the incidents allegedly followed a common pattern. Young recruits were allegedly enticed with promises of military training, provided with explosives and clandestinely taken out of South Africa during the apartheid era. The recruits were allegedly led to believe they would be involved in operations against the apartheid government.
”Instead, they met their deaths at the hands of the suspect and two accomplices who allegedly operated from Vlakplaas under the command of Eugene de Kock,” Mogale said.
After allegedly establishing the suspect’s involvement in the deaths, investigators served him with a summons to appear in court. The prosecution of the case marks one of the latest attempts by authorities to pursue justice in apartheid-era crimes that surfaced during the TRC process but remained unresolved for decades. The matter was postponed and is expected to continue in the Benoni Regional Court.
