Eugene de Kock, a former apartheid police commander, has denied involvement in the killing of four anti-apartheid activists in 1985. The Cradock Four, comprising Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli, and Sparrow Mkonto, were abducted by police at a roadblock and found burned. De Kock testified that police had photos of around 6,000 anti-apartheid activists, described as "known terrorists," who were to be tracked and killed if an arrest was not possible.
The Cradock Four were not among those listed, but one of the police officers implicated in their killings asked De Kock for assistance in covering up the crime. De Kock stated that the officer wanted to know if he could obtain another firearm to interfere with the ballistics of the case. This testimony comes from De Kock, who was sentenced to two life terms and 212 years in prison for his role in abducting, torturing, and killing activists during apartheid.
De Kock was released on parole in 2015 and has since asked for forgiveness from some of his victims. In a letter to the family of Bheki Mlangeni, a lawyer he killed with a letter bomb, De Kock expressed remorse for his actions. He has been given a police guard to a court in the southern city of Gqeberha, where the Cradock Four were killed.
The testimony of Eugene de Kock serves as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during apartheid in South Africa. While De Kock's denial of involvement in the Cradock Four's killing may raise questions, his admission of police efforts to cover up the crime highlights the depth of corruption and violence that characterized the era. The case of the Cradock Four remains a painful reminder of the need for accountability and justice for the victims of apartheid.
