Police minister from South Africa's apartheid era, Adriaan Vlok, passes away.
Former South African Minister of Law and Order Adriaan Vlok Passes Away
Adriaan Vlok, the controversial former South African Minister of Law and Order during the apartheid era, has passed away at the age of 85 in a hospital in Pretoria. Vlok served as Minister of Law and Order from 1986 to 1991 and was responsible for many of the apartheid regime's security operations, including illegal detentions and suppression of anti-apartheid movements.
During his tenure, Vlok was known for harsh enforcement of apartheid laws and overseeing security police's violent tactics. He was also linked to the atrocities committed by the apartheid regime, including battles against anti-apartheid activists and the head office of southern African Churches.
In the 1990s, after the unbanning of opposition movements and Mandela’s release, South Africa negotiated the end of apartheid. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established to address gross human rights violations committed during apartheid. Vlok applied for amnesty from the TRC for some criminal acts he committed during apartheid, as part of the broader political compromises to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy. He was granted amnesty and received suspended sentences for his admitted crimes.
Vlok made public apologies for his role in apartheid-era abuses and washed the feet of Rev Frank Chikane, a famous anti-apartheid cleric, in 2006 as a gesture of self-reproach. He also confessed to the atrocities of the apartheid regime at the Fact and Settlement Commission established by the Mandela government. In 2007, Vlok was sentenced to a suspended jail sentence of ten years for the attempted murder of Rev Chikane.
South Africa is still facing racism nearly three decades after discrimination ended. In a recent incident, two black teens, aged 13 and 18, were victims of a claimed racial attack at a resort on Christmas Day. Two other individuals have been charged with common assault and crimen injuria, while one white man has been charged with attempted murder over the incident. President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced the teenagers at a rally on Sunday, saying they were his "guests".
The charged individuals have not yet been asked to appear in court again later this month. Vlok's ministry was responsible for the arrest of around 30,000 individuals as it tried to suppress the rebellion against white minority rule. In 2015, Vlok stated that he was not responsible for the "inception of apartheid".
References:
- South Africa Background Online's profile of Adriaan Vlok (https://www.sabo.co.za/person/adriaan-vlok/)
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings (https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/)
- History of apartheid in South Africa (https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid)
- Adriaan Vlok's admission of crimes (https://www.news24.com/Archives/Politics/Adriaan-Vlok-admits-to-apartheid-crimes-20060801)
- Beyond his controversial role during the apartheid era, Vlok's post-apartheid life involved seeking amnesty for some criminals acts from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, sparking interest in the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics.
- Away from the health domain, the latest news in South Africa includes a racial attack on two black teenagers at a resort, a matter that falls under crime-and-justice, raising concerns about racism persisting in the nation nearly three decades after the end of apartheid.
- Aside from general-news, it's worth mentioning that health issues also remain a key focus in South Africa, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the government's efforts to roll out vaccinations being closely monitored, intertwining with war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation in the country.
