Into the heart of darkness

by Jacques Pauw

Jacques Pauw has been an investigative journalist for more than three decades. Before the phenomenal success of The President's Keepers, he spent years tracking down apartheid death squads. Into the Heart of Darkness , first released in 1997, was the result of this work. Despite official denials and cover-ups, the rumours of apartheid's death squads have now been proved to be all too real. Hundreds of anti-apartheid activists were killed and thousands tortured by a group of bizarre assassins, the foot soldiers of apartheid's secret war. Jacques Pauw has been more closely involved with apartheid's killers than any other journalist. For more than seven years, he has hunted them down and become a witness to their secret and forbidden world. Into the Heart of Darkness will take you on a journey into the minds and lives of the men who went out to kill and kill again. What caused these souls to become so dark and guided them to so much evil?

Genres: South Africa, Nonfiction, History

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

South African journalist and author Jacques Pauw was a founder member of the anti-apartheid Afrikaans newspaper Vrye Weekblad in the late 1980s, where he exposed the Vlakplaas police death squads.

He worked for some of the country’s most esteemed publications before becoming a documentary filmmaker, producing documentaries on wars and conflicts in Rwanda, Burundi, Algeria, Liberia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, among other countries.

When he left journalism in 2014, he was the head of investigations at Media24 newspapers. He has won the CNN African Journalist of the Year Award twice, the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting in the US, Italy’s Ilaria Alpi and the Nat Nakasa award for bravery and integrity in journalism.

He is the author of five books: four nonfiction and one fiction. They are In the Heart of the Whore, Into the Heart of Darkness, Dances with Devils, Rat Roads and Little Ice Cream Boy. Three of his books have been shortlisted for major literary awards.

Reviews

[Lyndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly harrowing account of the evils done under Apartheid, stomach turning. Really gives insight into what terrible things humans do to each other in the name of ideology and really added depth to my understanding of what was being done to people while I grew up in South Africa.

[Heidi de Goede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, a eye opener as to what happened in South Africa in the Apartheid years. BUT, and this is my humble opinion. BUT, I firmly believe Eugene de Koch took the fall for too many people. This includes the then President, some of his ministers, the Police brass and his "friends". Yes, some of them might not have known what was going on, but the ORDERS for these deeds would have come from above. From high above.

What he did was in no way right, but was it right of his superiors and "friends" to turn against him when they were just as guilty? EDK was a killer, but so were many others. The Afrikaans word I will use is "LAFAARDS". A bunch of guilty cowards. I hope EDK has a huge amount of "stolen" money stashed in a Swiss account that no one knows of.
Klopper/Klapper. This really irked me.

[Allan Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A harrowing read, but a story that needs to be told in our history in SA. I was driven to distraction by the countless spelling mistakes and typos and cannot believe that this was edited professionally. Nevertheless, well worth it.

[Lindy Crichton Bezuidenhout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This book was amazing! Make no mistake, this is no fairy tale story. The stories are literally unbelievable. I was left shocked, dismayed, revolted, amazed and even confused at how people could do this to each other! Jacques did a wonderful job in re-telling these stories. I was only a child during this time of South Africa's history and politics wasn't really something my parents discussed in the house. I never had a clue as to everything that was going on. I remember hearing news related items in passing but never understood the meaning or impact of it. This book has definitely given me a lot more insight into South Africa's apartheid history. I won't pretend to be fully informed and educated about apartheid, but as a South African it feels good to learn more about our history!

[Ipeleng Chauke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is worth the R900 that I paid for. Never get enough it. Sad sad sad atrocities. Well researched, well written. wow

[Wai Zin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am living in a Country which is under Dictatorship since 1958.
I live my whole life (except for a brief period of 5 years, from 2015 to 2010, when the country has a semblance of freedom under semi-Democratic government) under oppressive government.
I have the firsthand experience of cowering in darkness when the regime henchmen are making nighttime arrest in my neighborhood. I have seen unarmed protesters shot to death on the streets. I know the people who have been tortured.

The purpose of Polices and Soldiers is to protect and serve the people.
However, when they served the Elites and turn on the people, this is the worst-case scenario.
This book tells us about people who are policer officers and soldiers committed tortures and murders in the name of a false Ideology.
They do not think what they did were wrong.

I am not a pessimist, but I do believe that ordinary people are very capable of inflicting misery, horrors, hurts and deaths on the fellow human beings.

This book is not very well written or edited. It was all over the place telling the stories of these killers. It does not give you a conclusive or comprehensive reading.

BUT WE NEED THIS BOOK AND PEOPLE NEED TO READ IT.

[Anne Cupero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is important, but as a first step. It is page after page of atrocity, beyond what most people can take. And for those eternal optimists, who see nothing that is not rosy, this book puts them to rest. Humans are violent, aggressive, learn-nothing-from-history, animals. Read about them in this book. However, I really disliked the writing style - it jumps all over, supposedly from person to person, but back and forth from country to country, and interspersing the names of the involved. Incredibly hard to keep up with and badly written. I admire the author for trying to get stories out of these caricatured humans - rich sometimes, always buying stupid trinkets, ignorant as the day is long, before they die, but next book, try to make a cohesive narrative. I realize that life isn't always a neat flow, but that is the job of the writer.

[Marco O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An account of the actions and atrocities of the Security Branch during the Apartheid regime.

You get to learn who are and what the main perps of the Branch like Eugene De Kock and others had done to those considered enemies of the State.

It truly gives you an insight into the depravity of the regime and its black ops enforcers and what the aftermath is for both themselves and their victims.

An intriguing yet shocking account of South Africa during the 80s.

Can recommend.

[Machutts Rad]

This is not a book that I can assign a star rating to. It is a harrowing tale of the darker details of South Africa's history when democracy was imminent. It was a difficult read, which has highlighted the impossibility to even grasp the reality of having had to live through it. An important read for those who are interested in the country's history and who are willing to look into the actions of the white minority.

[Chris Botha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The apartheid regime

Its was good to read this book, many of these people were known to me who also worked at the security branch from 1987 to 1990. What a surprise to read about these guys whom you thought were cool guys. Lucky for me a never went to vlakplaas during this time.

[Marize De Klerk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read. Must read to all South African. Eye opener.

[Ronelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, but I was totally shocked by the deeds of the police men and soldiers that the generals did not take responsibility for their men

[Juggz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great read. Would've been a 5 star if it wasn't for the typos and spelling mistakes, It did throw me off.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

'I was in the heart of the whore.'