Former apartheid police officer Johan Marais has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the 1987 murder of student activist Caiphus Nyoka. The Pretoria High Court, sitting in Benoni, delivered the verdict on Thursday, 10 July, Cape town Etc reports.
According to eNCA , Marais, one of three men charged in connection with Nyoka's killing, pleaded guilty, while his co-accused, Leon Louis van den Berg and Abraham Engelbrecht, continue to deny involvement.
Nyoka, who was a prominent leader of the Congress of South African Students COSAS and a regional coordinator for Transco East Rand, was shot dead at his Daveyton home. The attack was allegedly carried out by a secret police unit tasked with eliminating anti-apartheid activists branded as terrorists.
While the sentencing marks a significant step toward justice, the case remains unresolved. Three additional suspects are still awaiting trial for Nyoka's murder.
National Prosecuting Authority NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana hailed the ruling as a crucial milestone. We hope that this sentence will set a precedent for all other Truth and Reconciliation Commission TRC cases , she said.