Ex-apartheid cop gets 15 years for 1987 murder of activist

Former apartheid era police officer Johan Marais, 66, has been sentenced to 15 years for the killing of anti-apartheid activist Caiphus Nyoka in the High Court in Pretoria.

- Molefe Seeletsa & Kyle Zeeman

The student activist from Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, was killed in an alleged confrontation with police during a raid on his backyard room at the age of 23 on 24 August, 1987.

Nyoka sustained at least 12 gunshot wounds, around his head, chest and hands.

Marais pleaded guilty to the murder of the Congress of South African Students activist in November 2024, claiming he was carrying out an unlawful order.

He confessed to the murder to a journalist in 2019.

In his judgment yesterday, Judge Mokhine "Papi" Mosopa went through evidence of witnesses for the defence who testified as part of mitigating factors regarding his sentence.