Three former apartheid-era police officers have pleaded not guilty to the 1987 murder of Daveyton student activist Caiphus Nyoka.

The trial commenced this morning (November 19) at a high court sitting in the Benoni Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, Leon Louis van den Berg, Abram Hercules Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander, face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder and defeating the ends of justice.

The courtroom was filled with members of the ANC, as well as Nyoka’s family and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Thembi Simelane.

Nyoka, a leader of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in Daveyton and a coordinator for Transco East Rand, was fatally shot on August 24, 1987.

He was allegedly targeted by a police unit established to combat “terrorism” during apartheid.

Taking the stand as the first witness, Nyoka’s sister recounted years of harassment their family endured from police while they searched for Nyoka.

She testified that police frequently raided their home, often during the night, leaving the house in disarray. She also described an instance where teargas was thrown into their home.

“In the month of June, they visited our home at least four times, leaving the house in a mess,” she testified.

“Caiphus was always arrested, but he was never sentenced or judged for what he was accused of.”

She described the events leading up to Nyoka’s death.

“On August 24, 1987, while I was sleeping in my room, I heard heavy footsteps in the yard and loud bangs on Caiphus’s door. They shouted in Afrikaans for him to open, saying it was the police,” she recalled.

Opening her door, she saw a large number of armed officers, some in full uniform and others in camouflage.

“While I was still trying to process what was happening, I was told to close the door or they would shoot. I crawled back to bed, but three officers later entered my room and inspected it,” she said.

Around 06:00, her father woke her, telling her to come and see what had happened.

“Caiphus’s room was upside down. One of the beds was soaked with so much blood that it trickled onto the floor,” she said tearfully.

The family initially did not know whose blood it was until they went to a government mortuary, where they found Nyoka’s body.

“I noticed he had a bullet hole above his right eyebrow,” she said.

The trial judge, Prosecutor Advocate Esther Kabini, and the defence counsel are scheduled to visit the Nyoka family home on November 20 to inspect the scene of the events described.

The trial continues tomorrow (November 20).

Last week, the fourth accused, Johan Marais (65) from Springs, pleaded guilty and was found guilty of murder in the Pretoria High Court. Marais’ attorney read a statement detailing that, on that day, Marais unlawfully and intentionally killed Nyoka by shooting him with a firearm.

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