Louis van Schoor, a convicted South African murderer responsible for the deaths of dozens of black men during apartheid, has revealed to the BBC that the police approved of his violent actions. He believes that others should also be held accountable for the killings he committed as a security guard. However, in conversations with BBC Africa Eye spanning four years, he has shared disturbing details that raise doubts about his early release from prison.
In a chilling scene inside the bedroom of the so-called “Apartheid Killer,” one’s attention is drawn to the meticulous neatness of Van Schoor’s bed, the overpowering smell of cigarettes, and the sight of sticky paper hanging from the ceiling covered in dying flies. Despite his health deteriorating and losing his teeth, Van Schoor remains unrepentant, even expressing curiosity and amusement as he recounts watching his own legs being amputated.
During the 1980s under apartheid, Van Schoor shot and killed at least 39 people, all of whom were black, in East London. Despite his claims that they were all criminals caught in the act of breaking into white-owned businesses he was hired to protect, evidence suggests otherwise. His reign of terror only ended after the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, leading to his arrest in 1991.
Van Schoor’s trial, one of the largest murder trials in South African history, resulted in him being convicted of only seven murders, serving just 12 years in prison. The remaining 32 killings were deemed “justifiable homicides” under apartheid laws allowing lethal force against intruders. However, further investigation by the BBC has uncovered witness statements contradicting Van Schoor’s claims that his victims were fleeing when he shot them.
Despite the racial bias and support he received from the white community in East London during his trial, there is still hope for justice to be served. With no statute of limitations for murder in South Africa, there is a possibility for the police to reopen Van Schoor’s case and reevaluate his actions. His own words, describing his killings as “a new adventure” every night, shed light on the disturbing thrill he derived from taking lives.