Chikane says its not for us to question Vlok

The late apartheid era police minister Adriaan Vlok was a child of his times and it is not for us to question whether his later action of remorse was genuine, said Frank Chikane the man Vlok had attempted to get assassinated in 1989.

Vlok died yesterday at the Unitas hospital in Pretoria, aged 85.

Vlok served as police minister (then named “law and order”) between 1986 to 1991. He also served as deputy minister of defence.

He was minister in charge of police at a time when the apartheid government had declared a “Total Strategy” aimed at using all means to eliminate all forms of anti-apartheid activism that had started in the late 1970s and had reached its peak in the mid-1980s.

“The people who ran the apartheid system believed in what they were doing. The people who tortured us believed that they were saving the country from communism. Vlok comes from that generation and had made that confession about what they did at the truth commission,” said Chikane.

Chikane is a church minister and a former anti-apartheid activist. He was director-general in the presidency during President Thabo Mbeki’s tenure.

Vlok, who became a born-again Christian after his term in office, famously washed Chikane’s feet at the Union Buildings as an act of seeking forgiveness from Chikane for his (Vlok’s) role in attempting to poison Chikane.

Vlok became the first senior National Party politician convicted of apartheid-era crimes after he pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Chikane.

He was sentenced to a 10-year suspended prison sentence under a plea bargain by admitting he ordered the security police to kill Chikane.

“We have to accept that he had a Damascus experience at some point [reference to the biblical story of how Saul, the persecutor of Christians had a mystical encounter and turned and became one of the faith’s greatest activists and writers] towards the end of our struggle in 1990 and after 1994.

“He changed.That is why he wanted forgiveness, wanted to wash my feet and went out of his way to meet the parents of the Cosas 10 [a group of student activist killed by the apartheid hit squad]), gone to informal settlements to offer services to victims of apartheid.

“That was Mr Vlok as he presented himself. As a pastor, I am the last person to judge a person. I always say to people that someone may kill your brother and be converted tomorrow. You remain bitter and he is fine. He will go to heaven and meet you there,” said Chikane.

Chikane said he had already forgiven Vlok by the time he washed his feet and had done so for his own healing.

“I had forgiven him even before he had asked for forgiveness. He wanted to show his remorse by washing my feet. I asked him why, he did not have to do that because I believed him and what he was saying and he did not have to wash my feet.

“He then pleaded with me and said: 'You don’t need it, but I need it. I need to do it for my sake'. It was at that point that I realised that it was not about me but about him. If this was going to help him I would allow him to do that.

“People do not realise that I also humbled myself because to remove your shoes and socks in the president’s office is the last thing you do.”

Vlok family spokesperson Peet Bothma said funeral arrangements would be announced shortly.