{
  "id": 16952919,
  "title": "TRC Roulette : Apartheid’s scapegoat — the jarring paradox of mass killer Eugene de Kock",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/trc-roulette-apartheids-scapegoat-the-jarring-paradox-of-mass-killer",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T20:38:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-28-apartheids-scapegoat-the-jarring-paradox-of-mass-killer-eugene-de-kock/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Vlakplaas commander Eugene \"Prime Evil\" De Kock testified before the Khampepe Inquiry, revealing how political interference and a \"rotten system\" protected the generals while leaving him to face the consequences alone. Former senior prosecutor Anton Ackermann, who led the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit (PCLU) and successfully prosecuted De Kock in 1996, claimed that President Thabo Mbeki opened a \"backdoor amnesty\" in 2003, allowing De Kock to receive amnesty for six apartheid-era crimes in June 2000.\n\nDe Kock detailed the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, stating that from October 1996, he was subjected to 23 hours of solitary confinement every day, with no access to the outside world. Ackermann and his team were the only outsiders allowed to interact with De Kock, who was moved to Pretoria Central Prison's C Max section.\n\nDe Kock accused Ackermann of shielding generals and political leadership, while the ANC and other political figures cast doubt on Ackermann's credibility. The inquiry's investigation aims to uncover why post-TRC prosecutions were halted, leaving victims' families to fight a 30-year battle for justice and closure.",
  "summary": "Testifying at the Khampepe Inquiry, the former Vlakplaas commander lays bare how political interference and a ‘rotten system’ shielded the generals while leaving him to take the fall alone.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock testifies before Khampepe Inquiry.",
    "President Thabo Mbeki granted amnesty to de Kock in 2003 for six apartheid-era crimes.",
    "De Kock faced 23 hours of solitary confinement daily in Pretoria Central Prison's C Max section."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}