Johannesburg - Apartheid assassin Eugene de Kock, nicknamed "Prime Evil" during a secret, dirty war to maintain white rule, today begins a controversial amnesty bid for a string of gruesome apartheid-era crimes.
Currently serving a 262-year sentence for his crimes while leading the Vlakplaas death squad, de Kock is seeking amnesty for over 100 incidents of murder, torture and fraud in a hearing that is expected to last several months.
Coming on the eve of South Africa's second all-race election, the de Kock hearings may shed more light on the recent discovery of arms caches which have raised fears of violence ahead of the June 2nd poll, analysts say.