Kabir,
Thanks for the forward.
It is about time that the rogues of the apartheid regime are exposed and prosecuted to the maximum extent allowable by law for the many untold atrocities they committed against the people of that country. Personally, I am of the belief that while truth and reconciliation are fine, those who have committed such crimes should never be left unpunished otherwise what is the deterrent against others repeating the same when they know they can eventually get away with it in the name of truth and reconciliation?
Jabou Joh
-----Original Message-----
From: Kabir Njaay <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 6:31 am
Subject: Fwd: Apartheid police minister implicates his old boss after prosecutors bring charges against him
Vlock turns on FWÂ
Â
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=521295Â
Â
Dominic Mahlangu and Moipone MalefaneÂ
Â
Published:Jul 22, 2007Â
Â
Apartheid police minister implicates his old boss after prosecutors bringÂ
charges against him.Â
Â
Minister of Law and Order Adriaan Vlok and several of his security chiefsÂ
have implicated former President FW de Klerk and "other top officials" inÂ
their submissions to the National Prosecuting Authority.Â
The Sunday Times can reveal that Vlok and former Police Commissioner JohannÂ
van der Merwe — who were both charged this week with the attempted murder ofÂ
the Rev Frank Chikane, Director-General in the office of President ThaboÂ
Mbeki — are angry that they are the only ones taking the blame forÂ
atrocities committed during apartheid.Â
Â
Sunday Times understands that both Vlok and Van der Merwe have madeÂ
submissions pointing fingers at De Klerk and his Cabinet, who allegedlyÂ
approved their activities.Â
Â
Jan Wagener, attorney for Vlok, Van der Merwe and three police officers,Â
refused to disclose the contents of his clients' submissions, saying theÂ
matter was sub judice.Â
Â
Dave Steward, speaking on behalf of De Klerk, said they have been in contactÂ
with Vlok's lawyers and they believe that there is nothing that points aÂ
finger at De Klerk.Â
Â
"There is no information that links De Klerk. Nothing," said Steward.Â
Â
However the Sunday Times has been told that plea-bargaining negotiationsÂ
between lawyers of the two men and the NPA are at an advanced stage.Â
Â
The offer on the table involves 10-year suspended sentences for Vlok and VanÂ
der Merwe on condition they help the NPA in other matters involvingÂ
apartheid crimes.Â
Â
According to an insider close to the talks, submissions made by Vlok and VanÂ
der Merwe to the NPA are "detailed and damning".Â
Â
Those close to the process say "big heads will roll and senior NationalÂ
Party [NP] Cabinet ministers will have to come out and account for theirÂ
roles".Â
Â
Many ministers snubbed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings inÂ
1996.Â
Â
De Klerk, however, told the commission that his party was not prepared toÂ
accept responsibility for the criminal actions of a handful of operatives inÂ
the security forces of which the party was not aware and which it wouldÂ
never have condoned. The former apartheid security officials who haveÂ
approached the NPA include Eugene de Kock, a mastermind of apartheid hitÂ
squads against opponents of NP rule.Â
Â
The willingness by former security agents to co-operate with the NPA comesÂ
amid speculation that the prosecution of Vlok will open the door for the NPAÂ
to go after other former Cabinet ministers.Â
Â
De Kock, who is serving a 212- year sentence in Pretoria's C-Max prison forÂ
apartheid crimes, contacted the NPA last week requesting an urgent meeting.Â
The meeting is being facilitated by a senior politician whose name is knownÂ
to the Sunday Times.Â
Â
Panyaza Lesufi, the NPA's spokesman, confirmed De Kock had made contact butÂ
could not say what he might reveal.Â
Â
Lesufi also confirmed that several former security agents and individualsÂ
who served the NP regime had contacted the NPA with a view to revealing moreÂ
details of crimes committed in the past. He could not, however, disclose anyÂ
details.Â
Â
"I can confirm that we have received a number of calls from people who wantÂ
to come forward with information. While we cannot ascertain what they wantÂ
to reveal, we will treat each case on its merits," he said.Â
Â
Vlok and Van der Merwe are being charged with the attempted murder ofÂ
Chikane when he was general secretary of the South African Council ofÂ
Churches by lacing his clothes with poison.Â
Â
Following the arrests, De Klerk released a warning that such prosecutionsÂ
were not even-handed, that they were not in keeping with the spirit of theÂ
democracy negotiations and that they would upset the process ofÂ
reconciliation.Â
Â
In another statement released yesterday in response to media speculationÂ
about his fate, De Klerk said through his spokesman Steward that it wasÂ
"exasperating that every time there was any development relating to suchÂ
prosecutions the same old allegations were made trying to implicate Mr DeÂ
Klerk. Each time we had to repeat the same refutations."Â
Â
He added that the Truth Commission, which had access to all State SecurityÂ
Council documents, had failed to find anything implicating De Klerk.Â
Â
Department of Justice officials said Vlok and other members of the apartheidÂ
security apparatus were unhappy that they were the only ones taking the fallÂ
for apartheid atrocities.Â
Â
The Truth Commission handed over more than 800 cases for furtherÂ
investigation and possible prosecution when it ended its hearings in 2004.Â
Â
The NPA then established a special unit to investigate those cases and beginÂ
the process of prosecution.Â
Â
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