The commission of inquiry into Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases, probing efforts to stall the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era perpetrators, continues in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Friday.
Chaired by retired judge Sisi Khampepe, the commission spent the past week investigating alleged political interference that stalled the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes. It heard testimony regarding the “deep rift” and “acrimony” within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) after the 2004 moratorium on TRC cases.
Former acting national director of public prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe testified on April 7. He denied receiving direct political instructions but detailed how efforts to arrest high-profile figures, such as former police minister Adriaan Vlok for the poisoning of Rev Frank Chikane, led to severe internal conflict.
Former president Jacob Zuma escalated his legal bid to remove Khampepe as chair, filing an urgent application with the Constitutional Court. This follows a Gauteng High Court ruling that dismissed his previous attempt to have her recused.
The commission considered affidavits, including from Imtiaz Cajee, nephew of Ahmed Timol, highlighting how “state inertia” and bureaucratic delays served as a “best defence” for perpetrators.
Parallel to the inquiry, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the TRC housing assistance reparations on Tuesday, pledging to finalise the unresolved work of the original commission.
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