Bio

Barend Hendrik Strydom was born in 1975 in South Africa. He grew up in a family that had strong political beliefs. His father, Nic Strydom, was a former policeman and held right-wing extremist views. Nic was involved in organizations that supported white superiority and apartheid. He encouraged Barend to embrace these views from a young age.

As a teenager, Strydom became involved in several right-wing political groups. By the time he was sixteen, he actively participated in movements that promoted the idea of an all-white nation in South Africa. He attended a specialized school called a veldschool, where he learned about South African politics and was warned about what he perceived as communist threats.

After finishing school in 1984, Strydom joined the police force. His time as a policeman exposed him to violent events in the country, including riots and fatalities. These experiences fueled his fears that South Africa was in danger and increased his beliefs about the threat posed by black South Africans.

Strydom's viewpoints were further influenced by his father, who held a very negative perspective on race. Nic believed that blacks were inferior and shared that belief with his son. Strydom’s strong political involvement and the ideology from his upbringing contributed to his view of blacks as enemies. This culminated in his decision to take violent actions in response to his fears.

Before committing his crimes, Strydom prayed and sought guidance from his faith. He believed he was acting on a calling from God. His extreme beliefs and actions would later lead to significant events that shocked the nation.

Murder Story

On November 15, 1988, Barend Hendrik Strydom, a 23-year-old former policeman, carried out a shooting spree in Strijdom Square, Pretoria, South Africa. He wore camouflage army fatigue and was heavily armed with a 9 mm pistol, two magazines, and 200 bullets. Strydom started his assault around 3 p.m., shooting indiscriminately at black people passing by. He chose this location for its significance related to apartheid and Prime Minister J.G. Strydom, who held strong apartheid ideals.

During the attack, Strydom shot several individuals, starting with a man outside the State Theatre. He moved on to cross Church Street, where he targeted two more victims, a man on the street and a woman inside a taxi. The shooting continued as he traversed three blocks, claiming more lives and injuring many others. Strydom believed it was important to keep moving to maintain surprise as he searched for additional targets.

After several minutes of shooting, he entered a shop called Sato Engineering to reload his weapon. At this point, Simon Mukondoleli, a brave bystander, confronted Strydom. Mukondoleli managed to disarm him and took him outside, where police arrested Strydom. At the time of his arrest, he proudly declared himself the "king of the Wit Wolwe," a group he claimed to lead, although police later found this to be a false claim. Strydom had killed eight people that day and injured around sixteen others.

Following the massacre, he was charged with eight counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder. During his trial, which began on May 15, 1989, Strydom pleaded not guilty but was found guilty on all counts by May 17. As he faced sentencing, he expressed that he would commit the same acts again if given the chance.

On May 25, 1989, Strydom was sentenced to death, receiving eight death sentences. His case attracted significant public attention, and he remained on death row until 1990 when the South African government declared a moratorium on capital punishment. He was released in 1992 as part of a political amnesty under President F.W. de Klerk. Strydom was later granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1994 after the first democratic elections in South Africa. After his release, he continued to live in Gauteng.