President Cyril Ramaphosa said he’s in the process of establishing a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, to establish whether attempts were made to prevent the investigation or prosecution of apartheid-era crimes referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to the National Prosecuting Authority.
According to the presidency, allegations of improper influence in delaying or hindering the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes have persisted from previous administrations. Ramaphosa said through this commission, he’s confident that the true facts be established and the matter brought to finality.
“The establishment of the commission of inquiry is the outcome of settlement discussions in a court application brought by families of victims of apartheid-era crimes. Following discussions involving the Presidency, the families and other government bodies cited in the application, there was a joint agreement to establish the commission.
This follows the Presidency’s statement in February 2025 in support of a commission that will look into the delays in the prosecution of these cases. While the parties have agreed to the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry, they were not able to reach a settlement on other matters in the application,” said Ramaphosa spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
Magwenya said these include the application for an order that declares the actions of various government entities unlawful and a violation of the applicants’ rights, as well as the payment of constitutional damages by the state.The timing of the inquiry coincides with the reopening of the inquests into the deaths of former ANC president Albert Luthuli and Human Rights lawyer Griffiths Mxenge at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
The presidency maintains that these outstanding matters would be most appropriately addressed through the Commission of Inquiry and will therefore be included in the commission’s terms of reference. Ramaphosa said all affected families deserve closure and justice.
“A commission of inquiry with broad and comprehensive terms of reference is an opportunity to establish the truth and provide guidance on appropriate remedies. President Ramaphosa appreciates the anguish and frustration of the families of victims, who have fought for so many years for justice.The President respects the decision of the families to continue to seek an order on the violation of their rights and constitutional damages through the courts,” explained Magwenya.
In addition, Magwenya said government will be seeking a stay of application on these outstanding matters pending the conclusion and outcomes of the Commission of Inquiry.The Presidency will shortly make an announcement on the head of the Commission of Inquiry, the time frames and the full terms of reference.
