‘Prime Evil’ out on parole for ‘nation building’s sake’

The reason for releasing de Kock on parole is believed to ‘in the interest of nation building’, said Masutha.

The time and date of his release will not be made public.

Dubbed ‘Prime Evil’ by the media, De Kock has spent over two decades behind bars, following his arrest in 1994 and his conviction two years later in the Pretoria High Court.

According to Times LIVE, “In 1997/98, De Kock’s testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on activities at the farm Vlakplaas shocked South Africans with its graphic, and previously largely unknown, details of the kidnapping, torture and murder of anti-apartheid activists.”

The former police colonel also won himself a round of spontaneous applause when he accused other members of the apartheid security establishment of not having ‘the backbone to stand up and take responsibility’.

Vlakplaas, where De Kock took over in 1985 as head of the police’s infamous C10 counter-insurgency unit, was located outside Pretoria. The unit was tasked with suppressing the anti-apartheid movement.

After the hearings, De Kock was granted amnesty for some of the crimes; for others it was denied, as their political motivation could not be fully proved.

De Kock was denied parole in July last year, despite being eligible after spending 20 years behind bars. Justice Minister Michael Masutha said at the time that although he had ‘made progress’ towards rehabilitation, the families of his victims had not been properly consulted.

Source: Times LIVE