President Jacob Zuma may be considering a presidential pardon for convicted apartheid-era police hit squad commander Eugene de Kock, the Sunday Independent reported.
The newspaper said Zuma met De Kock during a secret visit to the Pretoria Central Prison in April last year. It reported that “sources close to De Kock” had described the meeting as cordial.
Zuma flew from KwaZulu-Natal to meet De Kock, the former commander of the Vlakplaas counter-insurgency base, home of “death squads” which murdered anti-apartheid activists.
De Kock apparently gave information to Zuma about the involvment of other people who got off “scot-free”.
In return for a pardon, the newspaper reported, De Kock indicated he would help any new investigation into apartheid-era atrocities, including the recovery of bodies of victims of the security forces.
Zuma’ spokesperson in the Presidency, Vincent Magwena, and ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa have denied any knowledge of the April meeting. – Sapa