De Kock claims Ramaphosa was on assassination hit list
Eugene de Kock told the Cradock Four Inquiry that apartheid police planned to assassinate Cyril Ramaphosa, but he refused, as testimony sheds new light on state-sanctioned killings during apartheid.
Former apartheid police commander Eugene de Kock has told the High Court in Gqeberha that President Cyril Ramaphosa was on a list of people targeted for assassination.
De Kock is the former commander of the apartheid-era police counterinsurgency unit C10 at the farm Vlakplaas outside Pretoria.
The 77-year-old was sentenced to two life sentences plus 212 years following his conviction on charges that included murder, kidnapping and crimes against humanity in October 1996.
He was released on parole in 2015.
Testifying virtually at the Cradock Four Inquiry, De Kock said he was ordered to kill 33 individuals but refused to kill Ramaphosa, insisting he was innocent.
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Anti-apartheid activists Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, Sicelo Mhlauli and Fort Calata were abducted and killed in 1985.
De Kock also explained how top police officials would go for cleansing in the church after committing murders.
“I decided not to attend church. Now, the higher-ups, those that gave the orders, they wanted a lot of people shot and killed. My attitude was, then, why don't you kill them yourselves?
“Among them is the president of the country. They wanted him dead, and I said, ‘Well, he's not a terrorist.’ You can draw copies. It was photographed by Mr Dana Snyman.
