Apartheid Era's Notorious Figure, Louis van Schoor, Passes Away at 72

Louis Van Schoor, a name synonymous with the dark chapters of South Africa's past, recently passed away at 72. Known nationally as the former policeman who was implicated in numerous deaths during the apartheid era, van Schoor's death comes just days after the release of a high-profile BBC documentary and accompanying podcast that shed new light on his notorious actions.

Born Sybrand Jacobus Lodewikus "Louis" van Schoor, the ex-security guard was convicted in 1991 for the murder of seven individuals and an additional two assassinations. Nevertheless, van Schoor claimed that his victims were criminals caught in illicit acts. These claims were further complicated by police at the time who classified 32 of his alleged 39 killings as "justifiable homicides." This disparity in numbers and narratives has left a lingering shadow on how the acts and their judicial reflection were evaluated in a society torn by institutionalized racism.

Released on parole in 2003 after serving 12 years of his sentence, the chapter seemed closed on van Schoor's life of crime. However, his story was thrust back into the spotlight when the BBC documentary examined the broader impact of his crimes, prompting a re-examination of justice in South Africa during and after apartheid.

Louis van Schoor died due to sepsis in his leg on the 25th of July, 2024, leaving behind a legacy tainted with notoriety and a family history marked by crime. His daughter, Sabrina van Schoor, continued this infamous lineage, finding herself sentenced to a lengthy prison term for orchestrating the murder of her mother in 2002. Interestingly, both father and daughter spent time in the same prison, Fort Glamorgan, before Louis van Schoor's release in 2004.

Despite his conviction, the number of van Schoor's victims — believed to be as many as 39 — speaks to a more extensive pattern of violence and raises questions about systemic failures within the criminal justice system during a period when South Africa was deeply divided.