COSATU headquarters Johannesburg is sabotaged

Since its formation in 1985, Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) was viewed as a threat by the government. COSATU officials and members were subjected to physical attacks and arrests by the government agents. In the early hours of the morning of 7 May 1987, two large bombs ripped through the basement of COSATU House in Johannesburg. Although no one was killed the badly damaged building was declared a health hazard by the City Council. Cosatu and its affiliates were forced to vacate their offices. In 1998 the former Minister of Law and Order, Adriaan Vlok, as well as 22 former members of the former security police appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to apply for the amnesty for their involvement in the bombing of COSATU House. The TRC was satisfied with the information disclosed by the applicants and granted them amnesty for malicious damage caused to the building, unlawful possession of arms and ammunition and defeating the ends of justice in covering up the cause of the bomb.