Rev Chikane, now the director of President Thabo Mbeki's office, sat behind the five elderly, grey haired accused who laced his underwear with a nerve agent that nearly killed him when he was secretary general of the South African Council of Churches. The cleric said he forgave the men for trying to murder him. Mr Vlok, a born-again Christian, is the only former cabinet minister who has admitted to apartheid-era crimes. It was his extraordinary plea for forgiveness to Rev Chikane, as he washed the cleric's feet, that led to the prosecution.
Apartheid-Era Minister Convicted in Poison Underwear AssassinationFriday, August 17, 2007 South Africa's former law and order minister, Adriaan Vlok, was convicted today of apartheid-era crimes when he pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a prominent cleric. He received a 10-year suspended prison sentence under a plea bargain by admitting he ordered the security police to kill the Reverend Frank Chikane, a leading anti-apartheid activist, in 1989. The former police commissioner, Johan van der Merwe, and three other former high-ranking policemen also pleaded guilty and received suspended prison sentences of between five and 10 years.
Rev Chikane, now the director of President Thabo Mbeki's office, sat behind the five elderly, grey haired accused who laced his underwear with a nerve agent that nearly killed him when he was secretary general of the South African Council of Churches. The cleric said he forgave the men for trying to murder him. Mr Vlok, a born-again Christian, is the only former cabinet minister who has admitted to apartheid-era crimes. It was his extraordinary plea for forgiveness to Rev Chikane, as he washed the cleric's feet, that led to the prosecution.
Protestors outside the court demanded more trials for those who failed to gain an amnesty in return for admitting their crimes to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). One placard carried a picture of the last white president, FW de Klerk, stating: "Walked out of the TRC, selective memory denialist, noble peace laureate?" This was in reference to Mr. Klerk, who won a Nobel peace prize for ending apartheid, but who claims not to know anything about murders and other crimes during his time in government.
The TRC granted amnesty to nearly 1,000 people but Mr Vlok was the only former cabinet minister to apply for ordering bombings on anti-apartheid groups and other attacks. The former president, PW Botha, refused to testify.
The 33,000 strong Khulumani Support Group, which runs programmes for the victims of apartheid abuses, was outside the court in support of its demand for a "a charter of redress". "The charter identifies the fact that reconciliation has a price - the price is the cost of redressing the terrible wrongs done to individuals and communities across South Africa," the group said. |
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