Caiphus Nyoka murder: Court to sentence former apartheid police officer

JOHANNESBURG - The Pretoria High Court will deliver a sentence to a former apartheid era police officer for the murder of student activist Caiphus Nyoka.

Sixty-six-year-old Johan Marais pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Nyoka in 1987. 

Nyoka was shot dead at his Daveyton home in Ekurhuleni at the age of 23. 

During the original inquest into Nyoka's death, Marais initially testified that the student activist was armed when he shot him. 

But in his guilty plea, Marais admitted Nyoka was unarmed and did not pose a threat to him and his colleagues on the day. 

READ: 2 former apartheid officers' bid to get off the hook for Caiphus Nyoka murder fails

At the time of the incident, Marais was a 28-year-old police officer and section leader of the notorious reaction unit based in Dunnottar. 

He said at 2 am on 24 August 1987, they broke into a house in Daveyton where Nyoka was staying, and he shot him four times, with his colleague shooting Nyoka a further five times. 

The former apartheid police said the motivation for killing Nyoka was that he was opposed to the apartheid government. 

Marais said he acknowledges that he executed an unlawful instruction and feels remorse for his actions.