CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Two former apartheid-era police officers in South Africa were found guilty of murder Tuesday in the 1987 killing of activist and student leader Caiphus Nyoka.
Nyoka's fatal shooting at his family home near Johannesburg during the period of white minority rule was one of many alleged abuses by apartheid police that went unpunished for decades.
Abraham Engelbrecht and Pieter Stander, who prosecutors said are both in their 60s, were convicted by a judge in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. They will be sentenced later. A third former police officer was acquitted.
They were brought to trial after another ex-police officer confessed publicly to Nyoka's killing in 2019 — more than 30 years later. Johan Marais, who was a member of a special police unit called the Reaction Unit, pleaded guilty to murder in Nyoka's killing and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in July.
Nyoka, a local anti-apartheid activist, was shot at least 12 times when officers from the notorious Reaction Unit and Special Branch unit stormed his family home in the predawn hours, according to a 1988 pathology report and court records. The pathologist found that he was likely shot in the head, neck and shoulder while sitting up in bed and was then shot multiple times in the chest, arms and hands after he fell back.
At the time, police were cleared of wrongdoing after claiming they acted in self-defense. It was common during apartheid for authorities to clear the police of any blame to cover up political killings.
Nyoka's case was reexamined in 1997 by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an inquiry set up after white minority rule ended in 1994 to expose apartheid-era abuses and give perpetrators the chance to confess and apply for amnesty in an effort at reconciliation. No one came forward then to accept responsibility for Nyoka's killing.
The commission found that there were thousands of cases of political killings, abductions and torture during apartheid and recommended hundreds for criminal investigation, but hardly any were prosecuted, leading to years of anger from victims, family members and others.
South African authorities finally moved to revisit some of the alleged abuses this year after public pressure. A new inquest into the 1967 death of Albert Luthuli, the then-leader of the African National Congress anti-apartheid movement, ruled in October that he was beaten to death, likely by security police, and rejected a finding by an apartheid-era inquest that he died as a result of being hit by a freight train.
Authorities have also said they will hold a new investigation into the 1977 death in police custody of iconic anti-apartheid figure Steve Biko, whose killing sparked a renewed global outcry against South Africa's brutal system of forced segregation.
Another inquiry will examine if South Africa’s democratic post-apartheid governments that were led by the ANC deliberately blocked investigations into killings, as some families of victims alleged.
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
FILE - A banner is held aloft above black students in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the township of Soweto where they rallied after the funeral of a 16-year-old black student who died in jail, Oct. 18, 1976. (AP Photo, File)
Giannis Antetokounmpo remained with the Milwaukee Bucks while plenty of other players changed addresses as the NBA trade deadline passed Thursday.
An extremely busy deadline, at that: There were 28 trades made in the week leading up to the deadline, the most that the NBA has seen in over that timeframe in the last 20 years — with 18 of those trades getting finalized by teams Thursday in the hours before the deadline.
That ties a deadline-day record, set two years ago. And 27 teams were involved in at least one trade in the week leading up to the deadline, tying another league record.
But none of them involved Antetokounmpo, who had been the center of attention heading into the trade deadline amid reports that the Milwaukee Bucks started listening to offers for the two-time MVP and nine-time all-NBA selection. The deadline came at 3 p.m., and Antetokounmpo wasn't going anywhere.
Antetokounmpo, who hasn’t played since straining his right calf on Jan. 23, has spent his entire 13-year career with Milwaukee and led the Bucks to a title in 2021.
Antetokounmpo repeatedly has said that he loves playing in Milwaukee, but he also has emphasized that he wants to continue playing for a team that’s committed to competing for championships. The Bucks have lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons and are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Memphis' Ja Morant also hadn't been traded as of the deadline, even though his future had been the subject of much speculation over the last few weeks.
Morant has spent his entire career in Memphis, but the Grizzlies are 11th in the Western Conference standings and already dealt two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz this week as part of a roster overhaul.
Although he’s a two-time All-Star in his own right, Morant has seen his stock fall lately because of injuries and off-court issues as well as a drop in production.
There were some notable trades to take place Thursday, but none of them involved anyone with Antetokounmpo's star power.
Indiana acquired 7-footer Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. Minnesota added some potential bench scoring by getting Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls. New York gained some backcourt depth by landing Jose Alvarado from New Orleans.
Most of the biggest names to change teams did so in trades that were reported earlier in the week. That list of players included 2018 MVP and 11-time All-Star James Harden as well as five-time all-NBA selection Anthony Davis.
The Indiana Pacers paid a big price to get a big man. The Pacers acquired Zubac and Kobe Brown from the Clippers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick.
Zubac, who turns 29 next month, has averaged 14.4 points and 11 rebounds this season. The 7-footer gives Indiana a reliable center that could help the defending Eastern Conference champions contend again when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles injury next season.
Mathurin, 23, was averaging 17.8 points for Indiana.
The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips from Chicago in exchange for guard Rob Dillingham, forward Leonard Miller and four second-round draft picks.
Dosunmu is making about $7.5 million in the final season of his current contract. The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high 15 points per game and shooting a career-best 45.1% from 3-point range. He will fill an obvious need for the Timberwolves for more offense off the bench.
The Bulls also were involved in a three-team trade wth the Bucks and Phoenix Suns. The Bulls acquired Nick Richards from Phoenix. The Bucks got Ousmane Dieng from Chicago and Nigel Hayes-Davis from Phoenix, though they later waived Hayes-Davis. The Suns acquired Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey from Milwaukee.
Toronto added a future Hall of Famer in Chris Paul, who will likely never play for the Raptors, to get below the luxury tax threshold.
The Raptors traded with the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul, at least on paper. Toronto also sent forward Ochai Agbaji, a future second-round pick and cash to the Nets, the Raptors announced.
Paul — who is expected to retire after this season — was sent home by the Clippers in November but remained on their payroll.
The Cleveland Cavaliers sent guard Lonzo Ball to the Utah Jazz for a pair of second-round draft picks.
Ball appeared in 35 games, including three starts, and averaged 4.6 points, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 20.8 minutes. The Jazz will be the fifth team for Ball in his seven-year career.
The Knicks and Pelicans made a last-hour deal Thursday to send Jose Alvarado to New York for two second-round picks and Dalen Terry, who they acquired in a separate deal with Chicago, a person with knowledge of the deal told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn’t been announced publicly.
The Clippers sent Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for two-time All-Star Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick. The 26-year-old Garland is 10 years younger than Harden.
Davis is going from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards as part of an eight-player trade. The Wizards are receiving Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round selections.
The Wizards eventually can pair Davis with four-time All-Star guard Trae Young, who came to Washington last month in a trade with Atlanta. Davis and Young are both currently injured.
Dallas then sent Branham to Charlotte in exchange for point guard Tyus Jones. Charlotte had acquired Jones from Orlando earlier in the week.
The Hawks acquired Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Lakers for shooting guard Luke Kennard. Atlanta also received Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield from the Golden State Warriors for Kristaps Porzingis.
Golden State traded Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for a second-round pick.
Each of the conference leaders also has made a move this week.
The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers for a 2026 first-round draft pick and three second-round selections. The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons got Kevin Huerter from the Chicago Bulls as part of a four-team trade.
The Boston Celtics announced later Thursday that they acquired guard John Tonje from the Jazz in exchange for forward Chris Boucher, a future second-round pick, and cash considerations.
AP Pro Basketball Writers Tim Reynolds and Brian Mahoney, and AP Sports Writers Dave Campbell, Schuyler Dixon, Joe Reedy, Charles Odum and Michael Marot contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Chicago Bulls' Ayo Dosunmu loses the ball in front of Milwaukee Bucks' AJ Green during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, left, goes up for a shot against Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks on from the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo blows a bubble on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sits on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo smiles on the bench with Thanasis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
