Former President Thabo Mbeki has reiterated that National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials who failed to prosecute cases arising from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) must be held accountable.
Mbeki was testifying before the TRC Cases Inquiry in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Monday, where he again rejected allegations that his administration interfered politically with the NPA to prevent the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes.
His testimony follows criticism from Lukhanyo Calata, the son of murdered Cradock Four activist Fort Calata, who accused the former president of being disrespectful in a statement issued in March 2024.
In the statement, Mbeki denied that his administration had obstructed or suppressed prosecutions relating to apartheid-era atrocities, including the 1985 murders of the Cradock Four.
Responding to Calata’s criticism, Mbeki defended his support for Justice Jody Kollapen, arguing that holding prosecutors accountable for their alleged failures should not be viewed as disrespectful to victims or their families.
He said those responsible should explain why prosecutions did not proceed, which cases were affected, whether interference occurred, who was responsible and why those involved were not prosecuted.
Mbeki argued that such an inquiry was necessary to establish the truth and ensure accountability for the families who have waited decades for justice.
He also suggested that the NPA’s failure to prosecute more than 300 cases referred to it by the TRC’s Amnesty Committee may have been linked to possible compromises within the institution.
Mbeki pointed to the fact that the post-apartheid NPA inherited prosecutors who had served under the apartheid government, raising questions about whether some were reluctant to prosecute former colleagues who had helped maintain the system.
He said the possibility that some prosecutors had been motivated to protect former comrades needed to be examined as part of efforts to establish why the cases were not pursued.
The TRC Cases Inquiry is examining the failure to prosecute apartheid-era crimes and the circumstances surrounding the lack of progress in cases involving victims and their families who continue to seek justice.