APARTHEID-ERA COPS TO BE SENTENCED FOR ACTIVIST'S MURDER DURING APARTHEID

Two former apartheid-era police officers, Abraham Hercules Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander, are set to be sentenced on December 11, 2025, after being convicted of the premeditated murder of student activist Caiphus Nyoka in 1987. The Pretoria High Court found them guilty of shooting Nyoka nine times in his home, with Engelbrecht and Stander remaining in custody pending sentencing. 

Nyoka, a member of the Congress of South African Students, was killed by the apartheid police's Reaction Unit, which had planned the attack. A third officer, Johan Marais, pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this year. Nyoka, a member of the Congress of South African Students, was killed by the apartheid police's Reaction Unit, which had planned the attack. A third officer, Johan Marais, pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this year. 

This conviction marks a significant step towards justice for Nyoka's family and highlights the ongoing efforts to address apartheid-era human rights abuses. The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the conviction, emphasizing the importance of accountability, even decades after the crime.