Johannesburg Central Police Station
The Johannesburg Central Police Station is a South African Police Service police station. Until 1997, it was called John Vorster Square. During the apartheid-era, the police station in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa was a notorious site of interrogation, torture and abuse by the South African Security Police of apartheid resistance fighters.[1] It had been named after J.B. Vorster, the fourth prime minister of the Republic of South Africa.
Under apartheid
John Vorster Square was also used as a detention center mostly for political activists, the people that were sent into "detention" were not allowed to have any contact with family members, lawyers or any outside help, they were cut off from the world. Detention could last for a few hours to a few months, depending on the police.
More than 70 political Activists were recorded dead in John Vorster Square, the South African Security Police of apartheid resistance fighters often used excuses to cover up the deaths, to protect themselves from the media, many of the victims died due to torture and murder in the John Vorster Square police station. There is understandible doubt and distrust about some of the official reasons givin for these deaths. Many of the deaths were recorded as "the victim died due to hunger strike" or "the victim fell out of the 10th floor window" even though all the windows had bars on them.
Victims of the excuses the police used to cover up were as followed: Political activist, Aaron Khoza, died 1977, police reported that his death was due to "suicide by hanging".
Political activist, Solomon Modipane, died 1969, his reason the police gave him was "slipped on a piece of soap and fatally injured himself".
Political activist, Ahmed Timol, died 1971, His excuse "fell from the 10th floor window" at the John Vorster Square police station.
Political Activist, Imam Abdullah Haron, died 1969, His excuse "Slipped down the stairs".
Many more who died at the John Vorster square police station had the same results. Chris van Wyk wrote a protest poem called IN DETENTION that is based on the excuses the police gave the political activists when they died due to torture and severe beatings.
References
Coordinates: 26°12′23″S 28°1′53″E / 26.20639°S 28.03139°E