Last month the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made public a recommendation for it to establish an inquiry into the extent of political interference to which it was allegedly subjected while trying to prosecute apartheid crimes.
This follows allegations by former prosecutions boss Vusi Pikoli that during the period 2003-2017, the NPA faced enormous political pressure from senior government leaders who blocked the prosecution of apartheid perpetrators.
The Supreme Court of Appeal has previously heard from Pikoli that there was a policy position by former president Thabo Mbeki's administration for apartheid prosecutions not to be pursued.
In a statement on Friday, an angry Mbeki lashed out at the suggestion that his administration blocked the pursuit of apartheid criminals, saying there were questions the NPA had to answer directly.
“No such interference ever took place. If the investigations Adv Pikoli referred to were stopped, they were stopped by the NPA and not at the behest of the government as alleged by the advocate,” Mbeki said.
He called on the NPA to publish any document that would have been from his government indicating such an instruction.
Mbeki’s fierce rebuttal of Pikoli’s allegations was to be expected.
Not only because of the history of hostility between the two men relating to separate allegations of interference levelled by Pikoli against Mbeki, but because claims that Mbeki’s government scuppered the prosecution of apartheid villains, if true, are a major stain on the legacy of a man who spent his life fighting against apartheid and then went on to lead the nation in its founding years of democracy.
Most important, this matter is not about the individual legacies of Mbeki or Pikoli. Millions of South Africans deserve to know the truth about whether the democratic government had a role to play to undermine the historic quest for justice.
The apartheid regime changed the course of this country and entrenched generational trauma and subjugation, political and otherwise. It destroyed families, communities and eroded the very essence of our identity.
Behind its evil deeds were people, mostly racist white men driven by hate, who unleashed unspeakable violence on black people. Many of them have never been held accountable for their actions.
SA deserves to know why.
SOWETAN | Come clean on apartheid villains
Image: FREDDY MAVUNDA
Last month the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made public a recommendation for it to establish an inquiry into the extent of political interference to which it was allegedly subjected while trying to prosecute apartheid crimes.
This follows allegations by former prosecutions boss Vusi Pikoli that during the period 2003-2017, the NPA faced enormous political pressure from senior government leaders who blocked the prosecution of apartheid perpetrators.
The Supreme Court of Appeal has previously heard from Pikoli that there was a policy position by former president Thabo Mbeki's administration for apartheid prosecutions not to be pursued.
In a statement on Friday, an angry Mbeki lashed out at the suggestion that his administration blocked the pursuit of apartheid criminals, saying there were questions the NPA had to answer directly.
“No such interference ever took place. If the investigations Adv Pikoli referred to were stopped, they were stopped by the NPA and not at the behest of the government as alleged by the advocate,” Mbeki said.
He called on the NPA to publish any document that would have been from his government indicating such an instruction.
Mbeki’s fierce rebuttal of Pikoli’s allegations was to be expected.
Not only because of the history of hostility between the two men relating to separate allegations of interference levelled by Pikoli against Mbeki, but because claims that Mbeki’s government scuppered the prosecution of apartheid villains, if true, are a major stain on the legacy of a man who spent his life fighting against apartheid and then went on to lead the nation in its founding years of democracy.
Most important, this matter is not about the individual legacies of Mbeki or Pikoli. Millions of South Africans deserve to know the truth about whether the democratic government had a role to play to undermine the historic quest for justice.
The apartheid regime changed the course of this country and entrenched generational trauma and subjugation, political and otherwise. It destroyed families, communities and eroded the very essence of our identity.
Behind its evil deeds were people, mostly racist white men driven by hate, who unleashed unspeakable violence on black people. Many of them have never been held accountable for their actions.
SA deserves to know why.
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