▁major ▁announ cement , ▁and ▁was ▁se ated ▁at ▁a ▁table ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁ch amb ers . ▁ ▁At ▁ 2 : 1 4   p . m ., ▁Ts af end as , ▁a ▁parliament ary ▁mess enger , ▁approached ▁Ver wo erd ▁as ▁if ▁to ▁deliver ▁a ▁message , ▁then ▁pulled ▁a ▁six - inch ▁kn ife ▁from ▁his ▁uniform ▁and ▁st ab bed ▁Ver wo erd ▁four ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁ch est ▁and ▁neck ; ▁five ▁phys icians ▁( four ▁of ▁them ▁MP s ) ▁tried ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁who ▁was ▁dead ▁on ▁arrival ▁at ▁the ▁Gro ote ▁Sch uur ▁Hospital ▁ten ▁minutes ▁later . ▁ ▁Iron ically , ▁Ts af end as ▁gave ▁as ▁his ▁mot ive ▁that ▁the ▁white ▁supre mac ist ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁was ▁doing ▁too ▁much ▁for ▁non wh ites ▁and ▁not ▁enough ▁for ▁South ▁Africa ' s ▁white ▁population . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 2 1 , ▁Ts af end as , ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁slowly ▁being ▁consum ed ▁from ▁the ▁inside ▁by ▁a ▁giant ▁t ape w orm , ▁would ▁be ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁ment ally ▁un fit ▁to ▁stand ▁trial . ▁ ▁After ▁being ▁held ▁at ▁Rob ben ▁Island , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁P ret oria ▁Central ▁Pr ison , ▁he ▁would ▁eventually ▁be ▁hous ed ▁at ▁Ster k f onte in ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Kru gers dor p , ▁and ▁would ▁die ▁on ▁October ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁at ▁the