Court doesn't believe Johan Marais truly remorseful for killing Caiphus Nyoka

JOHANNESBURG - The Pretoria High Court does not believe former apartheid era police officer, Johan Marais, was truly remorseful for killing student activist, Caiphus Nyoka.

Earlier on Thursday, the Pretoria High Court sentenced Marais to 15 years imprisonment for the murder.

On the 24th of August 1987, Marais, along with three other police officers, shot Nyoka 12 times in his Daveyton home.

In 2019, Johan Marais confessed to a journalist to killing Nyoka.

He was later arrested and entered a guilty plea.

In mitigation of sentencing, Marais said that he could not live with the guilt, which is why he decided to come forward.

But Judge Mokhine Mosopa was not convinced, saying that Marais had an opportunity to confess his crimes to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

"The accused, fully aware that he did not participate in the TRC processes, which heard this matter in 1997, waited for over 20 years to disclose what he did in 1987. I’m not persuaded the accused had a true appreciation of the consequences of his actions."

Out of the 15 years Marais was sentenced to, 12 of those are direct imprisonment.