Yengeni says apartheid torturer Jeff Benzien must ‘rot in hell’

Jeff Benzien, a former apartheid-era security police officer, “was one of the most infamous murderers and torturers of the apartheid era,” ANC veteran Tony Yengeni said on Saturday.

Benzien passed away on Thursday at Mediclinic Cape Gate in his late 70s after reportedly battling cancer.

Benzien was granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). He was involved in the death of anti-apartheid activist Ashley Kriel and in torturing several others, including Peter Jacobs, Anwar Dramat, Ashley Forbes, Gary Kruser, Niklo Pedro, Allan Mamba and Tony Yengeni. Kriel was shot in the back by Benzien.

“He was a self-confessed, unrepentant, unremorseful, arrogant killing machine representing a racist and inhumane regime. May his evil soul rot and burn in hell,” Yengeni told News24.

Yengeni relives ‘wet bag’ torture by Benzien

Yengeni, detained from 1987 to 1991 on terrorism charges, endured the notorious “wet bag” technique during his interrogation by Benzien. Reflecting on his actions during the TRC hearings, Benzien admitted: “I know that I interrogated you, and I placed the wet bag over your head, and I smothered you.”

According to the transcript of his TRC hearing, Yengeni then put it to Benzien that, as he understood it, his torture expertise allowed him to get information from people within 30 minutes.

Benzien replied: “With respect, sometimes sooner, but not longer than 30 minutes.”

Yengeni then questioned him on at what point he released the bag to give the person who was tortured more air. “Are you counting time, or is there something you feel, and then you release the bag? What happened? What made you release the bag?

Benzien replied that the person being tortured showed the actions of somebody who was suffocating. “There would be movement and distress while the person was being questioned.

“As soon an indication was given that the person wanted to speak, the air would be allowed back. The person could then say what he wanted.”

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