Adriaan Vlok was one of the many people in power to make sure that apartheid as a system stayed for many years. The former minister lost his life in the early hours of Sunday in Pretoria.
Cause of death
A statement from his family revealed that Adriaan Vlok had died in the early hours of Sunday morning. Following a short illness. The particulars of his illness were not revealed.
To date, Adriaan Vlok is notoriously known for detaining a total of 30 000 people of color. That is, for standing up to the laws of the apartheid era.
By the time Nelson Mandela was elected as president, Adriaan Vlok committed some of his crimes. He was subsequently granted amnesty for admitting to his wrongdoing.
In an interview later in life, Adriaan Vlok expressed how wrong it would be to be imprisoned for his crimes. The former minister explained that it was his job to do the things that he did. He further noted that the system as a whole was not instituted by him.
He said, “I helped to keep it in place, and to send me to prison for all the apartheid crimes, I think that would have been wrong,”
Life after Apartheid for Adriaan Vlok
One crime of particular significance includes the attempted murder of Reverend Frank Chikane. Vlok admitted to trying to assassinate Chikane by poisoning him to the Truth and Reconciliation Committee and was granted amnesty for it.
Following his confessions, Adriaan Vlok became a born-again Christian. Thereafter, he sought to make his wrongs right by washing the feet of Frank Chikane.
Of the interaction, Chikane previously shared that he didn’t want Vlok to wash his feet but quickie realized that this action had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Adriaan moving forward and taking accountability for his actions.
He noted, “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.
While apartheid has been over for many years, South Africa is still grappling with racism. On Christmas day in 2022, three white men were shown assaulting young teenage boys and attempting to drown them in a pool at a resort.
One individual is currently charged with attempted murder. Two other men are charged with common assault and crimen injuria, which refers to someone intentionally impairing the dignity of another person.
Source: BBC, Sowetan Live