Adriaan Vlok

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Adriaan Vlok (born 1937) was Minister of Law and Order in South Africa from 1986 to 1991 in the final years of the apartheid era. Under his ministry the South African government faced increasing opposition and political unrest, and implemented increasingly drastic measures to suppress it, including hit squads carrying out bombings and assassination of activists.^[1]

His position as minister became especially controversial after 1990 during the negotiations to end apartheid, with the African National Congress insisting on his dismissal. President FW de Klerk responded by moving him to a less controversial post as Minister of Correctional Services in July 1991. In 1993/1994 he was the last chairman of the minister's council of the House of Assembly, the white chamber of parliament.

In 1999, Vlok was granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for a number of acts including the bombing of the headquarters of the South African Council of Churches at Khotso House, and the COSATU trade union headquarters.^[2][3]

In 2006 he came forward with public apologies for many acts, and washed the feet of some of his victims and their families.^[4]

[edit] References

1. ^ Adriaan Johannes Vlok, South African History Online, accessed 3 November 2006
2. ^ Amnesty Decision AC/99/0349, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 1999, accessed 3 November 2006
3. ^ Amnesty Decision - Khotso House incident AC/99/0242, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 1999, accessed 2 November 2006
4. ^ Feet washed in apartheid apology, BBC News, 28 August 2006, accessed 3 November 2006