Eugene de Kock
Encyclopedia
Eugene de Kock is a former colonel of the South African Police
force during Apartheid in South Africa
. Dubbed "Prime Evil" by the media, he was the commander of C1 unit (Vlakplaas
) of the South African Police counter-insurgency group, well known for kidnapping, torturing and murdering hundreds of anti-apartheid activists.
De Kock first became prominent during his testimony in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, during which he made multiple revelations relating to ANC
deaths.
De Kock has been interviewed a number of times by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
, who ended up releasing a book, A Human Being Died That Night
, about her interviews with De Kock, her time on the TRC, and what causes a moral person to become a killer.
South African Police
The South African Police was the country's police force until 1994. The SAP traced its origin to the Dutch Watch, a paramilitary organization formed by settlers in the Cape in 1655, initially to protect civilians against attack and later to maintain law and order...
force during Apartheid in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Dubbed "Prime Evil" by the media, he was the commander of C1 unit (Vlakplaas
Vlakplaas
Vlakplaas is a farm 20km west of Pretoria that served as the headquarters of the South African Police counterinsurgency unit C10 working for the apartheid government in South Africa...
) of the South African Police counter-insurgency group, well known for kidnapping, torturing and murdering hundreds of anti-apartheid activists.
De Kock first became prominent during his testimony in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, during which he made multiple revelations relating to ANC
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
deaths.
De Kock has been interviewed a number of times by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is a South African psychologist who served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She received her undergraduate education from Fort Hare University and graduate education at Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town, with a fellowship at Harvard University....
, who ended up releasing a book, A Human Being Died That Night
A Human Being Died That Night
A Human Being Died That Night is a book that was written by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, and was published in 2003.The book is Pumla's account of her interviews with state-sanctioned mass murderer Eugene De Kock from the time of apartheid in South Africa...
, about her interviews with De Kock, her time on the TRC, and what causes a moral person to become a killer.
Prime evil
Nicknamed "prime evil", Eugene de Kock was sentenced to 212 years in jail for his part in crimes against humanity. The 89 charges included six murder charges. He is still in prison.Accusations
In a local radio interview in July 2007, De Kock claimed that former president FW de Klerk had hands "soaked in blood" and had ordered political killings and other crimes during the anti-apartheid conflict. This was in response to De Klerk's recent statements that he had a "clear conscience" regarding his time in office.See also
- Dirk CoetzeeDirk CoetzeeDirk Coetzee was co-founder and commander of the covert South African Police unit based at Vlakplaas. He and his colleagues were involved in a number of atrocities including the murders of Sizwe Khondile and Griffiths Mxenge...
- Craig WilliamsonCraig WilliamsonCraig Michael Williamson , a former South African police major, was exposed as a spy in 1980, and was involved in a series of state-sponsored overseas bombings, burglaries, kidnappings, assassinations and propaganda during the apartheid era.-Infiltration:In the late 1970s, Craig Williamson had...