Engelbrecht and Stander are found guilty for the 1987 killing of activist Caiphus Nyoka after a planned apartheid-era police attack.
Almost 40 years after Caiphus Nyoka, a student activist and Congress of South African Students (COSAS) member, was murdered in a planned police raid, the two apartheid ex-officers implicated were convicted.
The Pretoria High Court sitting in the Johannesburg High Court has found former Sergeant Abraham Hercules Engelbrecht, 61, guilty of Nyoka’s premeditated murder. It also found former Sergeant Pieter Stander, 60, guilty of the same crime.
Nyoka was a respected leader within COSAS in Daveyton and served as a Transco East Rand coordinator. He played a significant role in mobilising young people during the struggle.
Engelbrecht and Stander found guilty for killing Nyoka
Engelbrecht and Stander were members of the Reaction Unit within the South African Police Service (Saps).
In the evening of 23 August 1987, the members met to plot a plan to kill Nyoka. They devised a plan to raid his home.
At about 2:30am of 24 August 1987, Stander, Engelbrecht, and other members of the Reaction Unit arrived at Nyoka’s homestead. They then stormed his room.
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The members found Nyoka sleeping with three of his friends.
“After identifying him, they removed the friends from the room and thereafter proceeded to shoot him nine times,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
“He died on the scene as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.”
Died as a results of multiple gunshot wounds
During the trial, the state called five witnesses, including Caiphus Nyoka’s two sisters Alegria and Mothasi. It also called Gugulakhe Exodus Nyokane, an expert TRC researcher Dr Rousseau, and the investigating officer, Lieutenant Colonel Beukman.
After the five witnesses testified, the state closed its case.
Afterwards, former commanding officer Major Leon Louis Van Den Berg, 75, who has now been acquitted, filed a section 174 application. Accused 2 also filed the application, arguing that the state had no case.
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The court dismissed their application, and all the accused closed their case.
The High Court found that the state proved its case beyond reasonable doubt in respect of Engelbrecht and Stander. This conclusion was reached when the judgment was handed down.
Engelbrecht and Stander’s verdict follows the earlier guilty plea by former officer Johan Marais. Marais received a 15-year sentence for his involvement.
NPA welcomes judgment
The NPA has welcomed the judgment.
“However, the state will study the judgment in respect of the acquittal of Louis Van Den Berg,” Mahanjana said.
“This court outcome is encouraging, as this is a right step towards providing justice for the Nyoka family.”
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The court postponed the matter to 11 December 2025 for the bail application, pending the sentencing of Engelbrecht and Stander. The two remain in custody.
ANC and Good Party laud conviction
ANC Gauteng lauded the judgment as an important step in honouring the sacrifices made by activists like Nyoka.
“The ANC Gauteng reaffirms its unwavering commitment to justice, truth and the protection of human rights,” the party said.
The Good Party said Engelbrecht and Stander’s conviction marks a long-overdue step toward accountability. It relates to about 300 human rights violations recommended for prosecution by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“The Good Party reiterates its call for justice in all 300-plus cases. This is not a matter of vengeance but of justice. When prosecutors are allowed to act selectively to satisfy their political masters, the integrity of the entire criminal justice system is undermined,” Good secretary general Brett Herron said.
