2007年VOA标准英语-Apartheid-Era Minister Pleads Guilty of Attempt

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
17 August 2007

South Africa's former Law and Order Minister, Commissioner¹ of Police and three former police officers have received suspended sentences after pleading guilty in a Pretoria court to the attempted murder of a leading anti-apartheid activist² in 1989. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our bureau in Johannesburg.

South Africa's former law and order Minister Adriaan Vlok, right, with ex-police chief Johan van der Merwe, left, sit inside of High Court room in Pretoria, South Africa, 17 Aug 2007

Apartheid-era Law and Order Minister Adriaan Vlok, and former police commissioner, Johan van der Merwe, were given suspended ten-year sentences. The others received suspended five-year sentences from the court.

Under a plea bargain, all five admitted trying to kill prominent black activist Frank Chikane in 1989 by lacing his underwear with a nerve toxin³.

Chikane, currently director in President Thabo Mbeki's office, was present in court.

Chikane last year forgave Vlok but said later that forgiveness cannot be a substitute for justice. Chikane forgave Vlok after he arrived at Chikane's office and insisted on washing Chikane's feet in an act of contrition⁴. Vlok later did the same for the widows and mothers of a group of ten young men lured⁵ to their deaths by a self-confessed state assassin in 1986.

Outside court, Chikane said he is pleased that the case is over and that he can move forward. He added he hoped this case can be used as a model for resolving other outstanding apartheid era cases and urged other perpetrators to come forward.

The National Prosecuting⁶ Authority said that in terms of the plea bargain the five men agreed to testify in the future in other apartheid crime cases.

Vlok was minister of law and order for three years until 1989, a period of some of the worst oppression of the apartheid era. At least thirty thousand people were detained without trial, there were numerous disappearances⁷, and many more died in jail and in police custody⁸. He seemed relieved the case was over.

"Thank you for your support. Thank you for your prayers and if you look at the way ahead in this country, I just want to say obey the lord and he will heal our land," he said. "Thank you very much."

But others were less pleased. Lenning Makiwane of the Khulumani Support Group for victims said it is clear the case has not resulted in full disclosure by Vlok.

"The trial [was unfair] to us, there [was] something that maybe worked behind some doors, maybe under the table . . . so we will not feel OK, because there is evidence they did bad things to people," said Makinwane. "There is more evidence, everyone knows what those guys did."

The Afrikaner rights group Afriforum said they were pleased no one went to jail Friday, but said leaders of the liberation movements, such as the ruling African National Congress, should now come forward and take responsibility for crimes committed by their members.

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

4 contrition   

n.悔罪，痛悔

参考例句：

• The next day he'd be full of contrition,weeping and begging forgiveness.第二天，他就会懊悔不已，哭着乞求原谅。
• She forgave him because his contrition was real.她原谅了他是由于他的懊悔是真心的。

5 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

6 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

7 disappearances   

n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案

参考例句：

• Most disappearances are the result of the terrorist activity. 大多数的失踪案都是恐怖分子造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。