Adriaan Johannes Vlok, a South African politician and the Minister of Law and Order in South Africa from 1986 to 1991 during the final years of the apartheid era has died. Vlok was born on 11 December 1937 and died on 8 January 2023. He was 85 years.
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What was Adriaan Vlok cause of death? What happened to Adriaan Vlok? Vlok’s family said he had died at a hospital in the capital, Pretoria, after a short illness.
A notorious politician, Vlok was a member of the planned and implemented drastic repressive measures, including hit squads, carrying out bombings and assassination of anti-apartheid activists.
He held two key roles during the apartheid rule in South Africa: Deputy Minister of Defence inn September 1984 and Deputy Minister of Law and Order a few months later in early 1985.
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He oversaw the suppression and detention of around 30,000 people during his time as Deputy Minister of Law and Order.
He also oversaw the restriction of 17 anti-apartheid organisations.
Vlok’s position as minister became especially controversial after 1990 during the negotiations to end apartheid, with the African National Congress insisting on his dismissal.
President FW de Klerk responded by moving him to a less controversial post as Minister of Correctional Services in July 1991.
Vlok confessed to some of his crimes after apartheid ended in 1994 and was granted amnesty.
He also washed prominent anti-apartheid cleric Rev Frank Chikane’s feet in 2006 in a gesture of contrition.
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