Chikane says he was interested in details of his 1989 poisoning – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.

Anti-Apartheid activist Reverend Frank Chikane says he was preoccupied with getting the truth about the details of his 1989 poisoning rather than seeking punishment for his would-be murderers.

Testifying on day 71 of the TRC Cases Inquiry in Newtown, Johannesburg, Chikane says he had a different approach to NPA Deputy Director Anton Ackermann and his colleagues, who he believed were rushing the prosecution of the perpetrators.

Former Police Minister Adrian Vlok, former Police Commissioner Johann van der Merwe, Major General Christoff Smith, Colonel Gert Otto and Johannes “Mannie” van Staden received minimal and suspended sentences after entering into a plea and sentence agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority.

Chikane says, “I wasn’t interested in charging people for the sake of charging them if there wasn’t sufficient evidence to convict and that if they are found not guilty then that is the end for me. I can’t pursue the information but I wanted to get the information and I think circumstances forced Vlok and van der Merwe to come to me because they hit a rock at the NPA and I said to them I am not interested in the issue of prosecution. I am interested in information from you and they gave me that information.”