President Thabo Mbeki has denied there is a witch-hunt against former president FW de Klerk, South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported on Saturday.
Mbeki was commenting on reports that De Klerk might have been fingered by former law and order minister Adriaan Vlok in apartheid-era atrocities.
Vlok and his security chief Johann van der Merwe were recently charged with the attempted murder of Frank Chikane, who is director-general in Mbeki’s office.
Mbeki said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was merely implementing a parliamentary ruling that action had to be taken against those who didn’t make a full disclosure of atrocities to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The president said everyone, including himself, must face the consequences if they committed undisclosed crimes, the SABC reported.
‘Clear conscience’
However, De Klerk is not being investigated for any crimes committed during the apartheid era, NPA spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said on July 30.
”I have not only a clear conscience, I am not guilty of any crime whatsoever,” said De Klerk earlier in Cape Town.
This comes after former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock reportedly asked to meet with the NPA to discuss what he said was ”new evidence” linking De Klerk to apartheid-era crimes. – Sapa