Khotso House is Bombed by Apartheid Security Forces
On 31 August 1988, at approximately 01:20 in the morning, the rucksacks that were containing explosives, which had been left by the apartheid Vlakplaas Team at the dividing wall between two lift shafts in the basement of Khotso House, were activated by electronic time switches. At a block of flats next to Khotso House, called Chiltern House, residents were awoken by a powerful explosion which ripped doors from hinges, shattered mirrors and hurled people from their beds.
The explosion at about 1:20 a.m. blew out part of the facade of the downtown Khotso (Peace) House and ignited gas leaking from damaged mains at the headquarters of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) and other social and community groups opposed to the white-led minority government. The foyer floor collapsed into the basement, and a large section of the front façade was blasted open, tossing rubble into the street. The explosion also blew out display windows of stores opposite Khotso House and tore doors off their hinges in nearby apartments.
Two female passers-by were in shock after their clothing was torn from their bodies by the force of the detonation. According to reports, twenty-three people were injured, including a security guard who fell into the gaping hole created by the foyer’s collapse. Nevertheless, there were no fatalities reported. When dawn arrived, it could be seen that what was Khotso House was now a pile of rubble floo
