Vlakplaas: Apartheid Death Squads: 1979-1994

Faced with the ‘total onslaught’ by its enemies, in 1979, Apartheid South Africa established Vlakplaas – lit. ‘shallow farm’, a 100—hectare farm nestling in the hills outside Pretoria on the Hennops River – as a secret operation under the arm of C1, a counter—terrorism division of the South African Police headed by Brigadier Schoon.

The first phase of Vlakplaas operations, up until 1989, was aimed at fighting the enemy: the armed wings of the liberation movements, the African National Congre...