Former Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has denied ever interfering in investigations or prosecutions linked to Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases, insisting that neither he nor the African National Congress (ANC) sought to derail justice.
Mbalula said during his testimony on Wednesday to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating allegations that senior government officials, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) may have obstructed investigations into apartheid-era crimes.
Mbalula, who served as Police Minister between 2017 and 2018, said he was never involved in operational decisions regarding TRC-related investigations and did not issue any instructions to halt or delay cases.
He maintained that the ANC has consistently supported accountability and justice, rejecting claims that the governing party deliberately frustrated the prosecution of unresolved apartheid-era crimes.
The commission is examining whether political pressure was exerted on law enforcement agencies to stop investigating or prosecuting cases referred by the TRC Amnesty Committee.
According to documents before the inquiry, the commission requested Mbalula to provide any information, correspondence or records in his possession relating to TRC cases, as well as an affidavit detailing any discussions or decisions made during his tenure that could assist its investigation.
Mbalula is among several former police ministers who have appeared before the commission as it continues to investigate allegations of interference in long-outstanding apartheid-era cases.
On Tuesday, during his testimony another former Police Minister Bheki Cele insisted that the responsibility was with a specialised unit within the Hawks tasked with investigating crimes against the state.
He insisted that there was little he could do about apartheid-era crimes also when serving as national police commissioner.
He added he still wants answers about comrades who were killed or disappeared during apartheid.
