Former apartheid cops plead not guilty to the murder of activist Caiphus Nyoka

Former apartheid police officers Leon Louis van den Berg, Abram Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander pleaded not guilty to the murder of student activist Caiphus Nyoka who was killed in 1987.

Prosecutor advocate Esther Kabini told the Pretoria high court sitting in the Benoni magistrate's court on Tuesday the state will lead evidence from Nyoka's family at the time the incident occurred.

The court heard the state intends to conduct an inspection in loco at Nyoka's family home to corroborate the evidence after the first witness testified.

“Let's start with the first witness and when we go to the inspection things will be clear,” said Kabini.

The trio pleaded not guilty and will deny the allegations against them.

They are accused of the murder of 23-year-old East Rand student activist Nyoka more than 37 years ago.

Nyoka was the South African Youth Congress organiser of the Transvaal Students Congress on the East Rand and president of the student representative council at Mabuya Secondary School.

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