|
Media, crowds gather ahead of Vlok hearing
17/08/2007 08:39 - (SA)
Pretoria - Television crews and journalists began setting up outside the Pretoria High Court on Friday where former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok and former police chief Johan van der Merwe were due to appear.
Vlok, Van der Merwe, and three policemen (former Major-General Christoffel Smith and colonels Gert Otto and Johannes Van Staden) are accused of attempting to murder anti-apartheid activist Rev Frank Chikane, now director-general of the presidency, by poison in 1989.
The Khulumani Support Group and Afriforum were scheduled to be demonstrating outside the court later on but at around 08:00 there were only school children and bus commuters passing by.
One grade 12 student said, "We are now oppressing the people who oppressed us in the past. We are taking vengeance. They must let the past be. We all have skeletons in the closet."
Another 16-year-old girl said, "I would say because I don't really know what is going on, I can't say anything."
Another man in his fifties said he did not think the trial was a good idea.
"I thought it was over and done with with the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). Why are they going through it again?"
Human Rights Commissioner and former National Party MP Leon Wessels arrived at the court ahead of the start of proceedings.
|
News
