Former President Thabo Mbeki has described the agreements reached between the African National Congress (ANC) and the apartheid government during South Africa’s transition to democracy as pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that must be respected to preserve the broader framework.
Mbeki made the remarks during his introductory statement at the TRC Cases Inquiry in Newtown, Johannesburg, on the 95th day of public hearings.
He said the various agreements formed part of an interconnected framework that guided the country’s transition to democracy, warning that changing one element could undermine the entire arrangement.
Among the issues he highlighted were the agreed-upon sunset clauses, national reconciliation legislation and mechanisms for addressing justice through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Mbeki used a hypothetical example involving former apartheid-era police officials who might seek to reopen cases against him to explain why the ANC’s approach to justice should not be altered for personal reasons.
He argued that decisions about justice should not be driven by fear or the interests of individuals, as this could jeopardise the broader agreements reached during the transition.
“I am saying it can’t happen because if you change the policy of justice, you collapse the whole construct,” Mbeki said.
He said the ANC’s approach to the various components of the transition needed to be understood within the context of the overall framework established during negotiations.
His remarks come as the inquiry continues examining cases linked to the TRC process and the handling of unresolved matters from South Africa’s apartheid past.