Strijdom Square massacre

Located in the center of Pretoria, what later became Strijdom Square was initially known as the Market Square. The location hosted several important marketplaces and acted as a center of economic activity. As a result, the square became an important location in Pretoria. In the 1970s, a monument was erected in the square to commemorate South African prime minister J. G. Strijdom, known for his support of racial segregation and his baaskap policy. The square contained a large statue of Strijdom's disembodied head, which was considered its signature feature. Perpetrator Barend Hendrik Strydom was born in Weenen, Natal, South Africa, in 1965. Strydom's mother killed herself at the age of 23, when he was 18 months old. At the time of the suicide, she was alone with Strydom, who was found with blue strangulation marks on his neck. Strydom was told she died in a revolver accident, which he believed until after the shooting. He had been a member of extremist right wing organizations since the age of 16, and was encouraged in his views by his father. Strydom viewed black people as animals. A week prior to the shooting, on 8 November 1988, he had gone to a black squatter camp and shot and killed a black woman, injuring another, in what he called a "practice run" for the shooting. Strydom also said that he had meditated and prayed a number of days before the attack and said that God had not given him any sign not to carry out the attack. == Shooting ==

On 15 November 1988 Strydom, age 23, dressed in camouflage and carrying a 9mm Vektor pistol, At about 3 p.m., Strydom parked his car on Prinsloo Street and walked to Strijdom Square, chosen as a location due to its namesake. Once at the square he opened fire at random at any black person he saw. Eight people were killed and 16 were injured in the aftermath. Seven of the victims were black, while one was Indian. == Aftermath ==

After his arrest, Strydom said he felt nothing for the victims. His legal defense was that he had committed justifiable homicide. Strydom's defense attorney stated he would appeal his sentence. though responsibility was later taken by artist Jacques Coetzer. He was then granted amnesty in 1994 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the grounds that his attack was politically motivated. The ANC condemned the release of Strydom. His release was controversial, as was that of Robert McBride, a black man who had killed whites. Strydom stated after his release that he would do it again "if necessary". De Klerk stated he viewed the crimes of both McBride and Strydom as "atrocious", but that their release was to help black-white political negotiations move forward. Legacy Simon Mukondoleli was later killed in an attack in 1991, possibly related to his work as a private investigator. On the 30th anniversary of the attack, on 15 November 2018, the names of the victims were read aloud in a ceremony. A commemorative plaque was dedicated in the square, created by Bradley Steyn, who had witnessed the massacre as a teenager. The ceremony was attended by Carl Niehaus, a spokesperson for the UMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans' Association, and two family members of the victims. The square itself was later renamed Lillian Ngoyi Square, after South African anti-apartheid activist Lilian Ngoyi. Strydom was investigated for his support and leadership in right wing extremist causes in 2003, after his release. Kritzinger had previously expressed support for the Wit Wolwe, Strydom's nonexistent far right group. In 2008, Strydom testified at the Boeremag trial, after he was called to the stand to defend Adriaan van Wy. He stated during his testimony that he still believed black people were not human. The head prosecutor in that case was the same official who had sentenced Strydom to death. == See also ==