South Africa TRC cases inquiry investigation

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases inquiry in South Africa is investigating allegations that political interference obstructed apartheid-era prosecutions. Testimony from former Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Chris Macadam suggested that senior police officials and government ministers used political maneuvering and missing dockets to impede the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Specifically, evidence indicated that former National Director Vusi Pikoli faced resistance from the Department of Justice and the National Intelligence Agency regarding the legality of proceeding with these cases.

In a subsequent legal development, the South African Constitutional Court dismissed an application by former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki to remove the inquiry’s chairperson, retired Justice Sisi Khampepe. The former presidents had alleged that Khampepe’s prior roles within the TRC’s Amnesty Committee and the NPA created a “reasonable apprehension of bias.” The court’s ruling allows the commission to continue its investigation into why few TRC-referred cases successfully moved through the criminal justice system.