‘Ramaphosa on hit list' — De Kock details apartheid kill orders and cover-ups
Fact-Check Results
“Eugene de Kock was given a hit list with 33 names – names of people the 'higher ups' of the apartheid regime wanted dead.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm or refute the existence of a hit list with 33 names.
“Among the names on the list was 'the current president of the country'.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify inclusion of the current president on any hit list.
“De Kock said during cross-examination at the third inquest into the deaths of the Cradock Four on Friday. 'They wanted him (Cyril Ramaphosa) dead, and I said he is not a terrorist.'”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm de Kock's statements about Cyril Ramaphosa during cross-examination.
“The former Vlakplaas commander and apartheid-era state assassin’s testimony started in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Gqeberha on Monday, 23 March 2026.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify the date or location of de Kock's testimony.
“His testimony divulged little more than what had been testified to at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings, but once again brought to the fore the ruthless nature with which perceived enemies of the state were hunted down.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to assess the content or impact of de Kock's testimony.
“He received many names that had to be 'removed from society', whom he refused to execute as they did not fit the bill of his usual targets.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm de Kock's refusal to execute designated targets.
“He said he took full responsibility for the operations he did perform.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify de Kock's statements about taking responsibility for operations.
“De Kock said he could not speak for others, but his orders came from 'high, very high, at one stage presidential', referring to orders handed down from then president PW Botha.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm de Kock's claims about orders from PW Botha.
“The words murder, kill, kap sy kop af (chop his head off) would never have been used.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to verify de Kock's statements about terminology used in orders.
“Engelbrecht received orders from 'higher up' to ensure there was no evidence linking the Security Branch to the Cradock Four’s murders.”
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INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
— No evidence in archive to confirm Engelbrecht's orders regarding the Cradock Four case.