THE SILENCE CRACKS

MAJOR ADMISSIONS BY AN EX-POLICE CHIEF PROVIDE A BREAKTHROUGH IN SOUTH AFRICA'S QUEST FOR JUSTICE

The revelations were stunning enough last week when South Africa's former chief of police admitted to his role in two notorious acts of sabotage. First, General Johan van der Merwe confessed to giving orders in 1988 to blow up the Johannesburg headquarters of the South African Council of Churches, a blast that injured 23 people. He also admitted that he ordered his men to infiltrate a ring of antiapartheid activists and provide them with booby-trapped hand grenades, which exploded as soon as the pins were pulled. But then Van der Merwe offered an even more startling disclosure, turning to the subject...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!