Apartheid-era minister pleads guilty in murder plot

A former South African government minister, whose name was synonymous with terror in the apartheid era, pleaded guilty to attempted murder today in a plot to kill a prominent church leader by lacing his clothes with poison.

Former law and order Minister Adriaan Vlok, who is now 70 and deeply religious, was composed during his appearance at Pretoria’s High Court.

Last year, in a gesture of atonement, he washed the feet of the intended victim of the poison plot, Frank Chikane, then secretary-general of the South African Council of Churches and now a top adviser to President Thabo Mbeki.

Vlok and his police chief Johannes Van der Merwe were both sentenced to 10 years, suspended for five years, as part of a plea bargain reached with prosecutors.

Three other former top security officials were given five-year suspended sentences.

This means that if Vlok and the other four men commit no crimes for the next five years, they will not serve any time in prison.

Details of the plea bargain were read out by state prosecutor Anton Ackerman.