'There was a lot of blood': Sister of slain activist Caiphus Nyoka describes murder scene

The younger sister of slain East Rand activist Caiphus Nyoka told the court on Wednesday she knew her brother had been killed by the security branch when she walked into his room which was covered in blood.

She recalled the events of that night in August 1987 when her elder brother was killed. 

The court ordered that the names of Nyoka's family members testifying should not be published. State prosecutor Esther Kabini led the evidence of Nyoka's sister, who is the second witness in the case.

She testified that when members of the security branch arrived at her home in the early hours of that fateful day 37 years ago, she and her sister were already asleep in one of the bedrooms in the main house. 

“I heard the footsteps of people who were running furiously, and when these people came into the yard, they went behind the house while still running. At that time, I could hear that these people were behind the [main] house in front of Caiphus' room [which was outside], and they were trying to force the door open,” she testified. 

“I could hear them as they were banging the door and forcing the door open. I heard them. While I was listening I was frightened at that time because I didn't know what exactly was happening.”

She testified that during the commotion she saw three boys dressed only in underwear lying down which she said was an indication that they were not the people the police were looking for, as they were not affiliated with student activism. 

The boys had slept over at their home as they were attending their neighbour's funeral on the Sunday.

She said she had a conversation with her father about the people outside carrying a stretcher with a man with an afro hairstyle.

“He said that person was only dressed in underwear and said he was terrified. 'I am shivering with fear.' I said Caiphus was going to come back and then I went back to my bedroom,” she testified. 

She said her father also told her there was a hearse parked outside their home.

She subsequently went to her room and slept and in the morning she woke up at 5am and went straight to Caiphus' room.

“I saw that the door had been broken. When I got inside, there was a lot of blood that I had never seen in my life. I looked and saw his bed was broken. 

“When I checked, I saw the shirt that was worn by Caiphus at the funeral and then I saw the jacket that he had worn at the funeral. I also saw the trousers which he had worn at the funeral. 

“As I was looking, my eyes were drawn to the shoes. That pair of shoes was black and grey. There were coins on the floor. The shoes indicated to me that Caiphus had passed away,” she testified.

After concluding that her brother had been murdered she called her father and told him that Caiphus had been killed.   

“When we went into the room I told them that Caiphus had died, based on what I had seen. When I told them that Caiphus had passed away they seemed not to believe it but I had seen Caiphus wearing the same pair of grey and black shoes at a funeral when he was conducting a choir.” 

She said she also heard her father saying a person was being taken out on a stretcher and also there was a hearse in front of the house. 

The three former police officers on trial for Nyoka's murder, Leon Louis van den Berg, Abram Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander, have pleaded not guilty.

The state's case is they acted in the furtherance of common purpose in the commission of murder.

This is one of the cases referred to the National Prosecuting Authority by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Nyoka was a student activist in Daveyton and a member of the Congress of South African Students.

Last week, Johan Marais, 65, who was stationed at Unit 6 in Dunnottar in Ekurhuleni, pleaded guilty to killing Nyoka.

Nyoka's sister is expected to continue testifying on Thursday. 

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