Eugene de Kock has the blood of dozens of people on his hands. To most South Africans he is the monster from Vlakplaas. Nonetheless, Anemari Jansen was intrigued by him when she met him in 2011 in Pretoria Central Prison. How could the prisoner “with the soft voice” be reconciled with the man dubbed “Prime Evil”? Jansen's search for answers led her across the country, to De Kock's family, friends, and former Koevoet and Vlakplaas colleagues, who revealed much about him. She also quotes extensively from De Kock's diaries and an unpublished manuscript. In his own words, De Kock is scathingly honest: about the atrocities he committed, about the superiors from whom he received his orders – and about his shame. This book paints a picture of a highly intelligent, complex individual. It sheds light not only on De Kock's choices, but also on South Africa's recent past, in a revelatory and often shocking way.
