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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Apartheid-era minister sentenced | |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| Former South African Police Minister Adriaan Vlok has received a suspended 10-year jail sentence for plotting to kill an anti-apartheid activist. | |
| He and four others - who also received suspended sentences - had admitted trying to kill Frank Chikane in 1989 by lacing his clothes with a nerve toxin. | |
| Rev Chikane, who is now a director in the president's office, had said he did not want to see the men go to prison. | |
| Vlok begged for forgiveness from Mr Chikane last year by washing his feet. | |
| Correspondents say the alleged plot was one of the most striking cases of the apartheid regime's attempts to silence opponents. | |
| Old divisions | Old divisions |
| The BBC's Peter Greste in Pretoria reports that two protests took place outside the High Court, where Vlok stood trial. | |
| How can there be reconciliation when there is no justice? Former ANC activist Zweli Mkhize Apartheid crimes dilemma | How can there be reconciliation when there is no justice? Former ANC activist Zweli Mkhize Apartheid crimes dilemma |
| One called for justice for the victims of the apartheid regime while the other demanded that members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) should also face charges. | |
| "If the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) perseveres in not treating the ANC's leaders equally to other offenders, then any further prosecutions will amount to selective morality and a witch hunt," Afrikaans civil rights group, Afri-forum, said in a statement reported by the AFP news agency. | "If the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) perseveres in not treating the ANC's leaders equally to other offenders, then any further prosecutions will amount to selective morality and a witch hunt," Afrikaans civil rights group, Afri-forum, said in a statement reported by the AFP news agency. |
| But victims of apartheid feel justice should be served. | But victims of apartheid feel justice should be served. |
| "How can there be reconciliation when there is no justice?" former ANC activist Zweli Mkhize told AP news agency. | "How can there be reconciliation when there is no justice?" former ANC activist Zweli Mkhize told AP news agency. |
| Rev Chikane has never called for prosecutions | Rev Chikane has never called for prosecutions |
| Our correspondent says the rival demonstrations underline what some commentators have been arguing, that the process of prosecutions only reopens old divisions. | Our correspondent says the rival demonstrations underline what some commentators have been arguing, that the process of prosecutions only reopens old divisions. |
| Mr Vlok, ex-police chief Johan van der Merwe and three others admitted conspiring to murder Mr Chikane when he was secretary-general of the South African Council of Churches. | |
| They attempted to assassinate the clergyman by placing underwear impregnated with a powerful nerve toxin in his suitcase while he was travelling. | |
| Mr Vlok and Mr van der Merwe were in charge of law and order in South Africa during the late 1980s - a period when emergency laws granted police sweeping powers of arrest and detention against anti-apartheid activists. | Mr Vlok and Mr van der Merwe were in charge of law and order in South Africa during the late 1980s - a period when emergency laws granted police sweeping powers of arrest and detention against anti-apartheid activists. |
| The three other accused were lower ranking police officers at the time. | The three other accused were lower ranking police officers at the time. |