6 hours agoBy Charlie Northcott, BBC Africa Eye
A convicted South African murderer who shot dead dozens of black men during apartheid has told the BBC that the police sanctioned his violence. Louis van Schoor says others should share the blame for the killings he carried out as a security guard. But in talking to BBC Africa Eye over the past four years, he has also let slip horrifying details that raise serious questions about his early release from prison.
In the bedroom of Louis van Schoor, the details catch your eye. His bed is perfectly made, the air smells of cigarettes, and sticky paper traps dying flies. Van Schoor, known as the “Apartheid Killer,” has lost his teeth and his health is deteriorating. Despite suffering a heart attack and having both legs amputated, he chuckles about watching his own surgery.
Van Schoor, a former security guard, admitted to killing at least 39 people, all of whom were black, in East London during the 1980s under apartheid. Despite the terror he spread in the black community, he was only convicted of seven murders and served just 12 years in prison. The other killings were classified as “justifiable homicides” by the police.
Investigations into Van Schoor’s case have revealed harrowing evidence, including witness testimonies of being shot while surrendering and being toyed with by Van Schoor before being shot. The security guard used a 9mm pistol with hollow-point bullets, causing severe internal injuries to his victims.
Despite claiming he did not intend to kill black people and denying being racist, Van Schoor admitted to finding stalking them in the dark “exciting” during his time as a security guard. His case has raised questions about racial bias in the legal system and the possibility of reopening the investigation into his “justifiable” killings.