-
Court gavel hammer
The family of student activist Caiphus Nyoka, who was brutally murdered in 1987, says they hope justice will prevail and that the two accused will receive a heavy sentence.
This comes after the Johannesburg High Court found two of the three apartheid-era police officers guilty of the murder.
Nyoka, who was a student activist and leader, was shot nine times while sleeping at his Daveyton home. The trio – Major Leon van den Berg, Sergeant Abraham Engelbrecht, and Peter Stander – have been on trial for the 1987 murder.
Judge Ismail Abrahams acquitted Major Leon van den Berg, finding that the state failed to prove its case against him beyond a reasonable doubt.
Nyoka’s sister, Agrelia Nyoka, says the family has endured pain for 38 years.
“We knew their version was wrong, and finally it has been proved that he was not carrying any weapon; he was defenceless and murdered in his sleep, which was very painful to us because he was murdered inside his room, and we were also present, so this was a very heavy burden to carry all these years, and it’s a pity that my parents did not live to see this day.”
VIDEO | Nyoka’s alleged killers to be sentenced in December:
