Johannes Jacobus De Nysschen

Johannes Jacobus De Nysschen "Kobus" (1982 - 1985)

Brief overview:

Kobus (3), his sister, Carla De Nysschen (9), and their Grandmother Maria Gertruida De Nysschen (59), and Kobie van Eck (34), and her two children Ignatius van Eck (2) and Nellmarie van Eck (8) were all killed when the bakkie they were driving in detonated a landmine.

"In a landmine explosion that took place on 15 December 1985 at Chatsworth farm in the district of Messina, five people were killed and five injured. Three of the dead were children aged two, eight and ten. Mr Johannes Frederick van Eck [JB00707/01MPWES] was severely injured and lost four members of his family: Johannes Frederick (jnr), Jacoba, Nelmarie and Michael Ignatius. His one-yearold son survived the blast. Two members of the De Nysschen family (Marie and Carla) who were with the Van Ecks also died, while Grizelle and Thea de Nysschen were injured."

• https://archive.is/AYQeV

Extract from the Politics Web Report

"A Radio Freedom broadcast on 28th November 1985 boasted that these explosions had “shocked the racist regime”, adding that “All along, the racists who have farms in the northern Transvaal, just like in other areas, were living in a fool's paradise thinking that they were safe.” It vehemently denied that these landmine attacks had been carried out by MK units operating out of Zimbabwe. It also warned white South Africans that activities like the Messina landmine “will soon become the order of the day… they must also keep it in mind that such activities will not only intensify but will also spread and engulf the entire country including their residential areas.”

"A Radio Freedom broadcast on 6th January 1986 described the victims of the first attack as “six white Boer farmers and one black” and the second as “two Boers” and said that, while ANC HQ in Lusaka could not confirm responsibility, whoever carried out these attacks was “most certainly a South Africa patriot.” The following day 7th January 1986 - Lukas Marais, a successful sugar-cane farmer was shot dead in cold blood on his farm by an assailant with an AK-47 rifle in the Komatipoort district in the Eastern Transvaal."

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
  • Grizelle and Thea de Nysschen were injured, but survived.
  • Johannes Frederick can Eck (Dirk) (36), who was severely injured, but survived the land-mine blast, as well as his one-year-old son, Erik, ran five miles to summon help.
• Funeral/Memorial
  • The three van Eck family members were buried in the farming town of Tzaneen in northeastern Transvaal Province.
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

• ID Number : 8204055017081
• Cause of death : SKOK/BLOEDING/ERNSTIGE NEK LEDEMAAT BRANDWONDE

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.is/9ury0