Chikane defends decision not to oppose pardons for men who poisoned him

By Simon Nare

Anti-apartheid activist Reverend Frank Chikane has defended his decision not to oppose pardons for two former apartheid security chiefs who were involved in an attempt to poison him in 1989, saying he was satisfied after they confessed to the crime.

Testifying at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases inquiry on Thursday, Chikane said he had made a personal decision regarding the attempt on his life and saw no reason to pursue the matter further after former apartheid police minister Adriaan Vlok and former police chief Johann van der Merwe confessed to their roles.

Chikane nearly died after being chemically poisoned while travelling to the United States in 1989.

He collapsed several times, suffered severe vomiting and respiratory failure, and doctors in the US observed that his symptoms recurred whenever he opened his luggage.

Vlok and Van der Merwe later accepted responsibility for the attempt and were