South Africa’s Head Orders Inquiry into Alleged ANC Obstruction of Apartheid-Era Crime Probes

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a judicial inquiry to investigate allegations that previous governments, led by his own African National Congress (ANC) party, deliberately obstructed investigations and prosecutions of apartheid-era crimes, Al Jazeera reports.

The landmark decision addresses decades of demands from survivors and families of victims seeking justice for atrocities committed during the racist regime.

President Ramaphosa’s office announced the inquiry on Wednesday, stating it will examine allegations of “improper influence in delaying or hindering” investigations levelled against post-apartheid ANC governments.

“President Ramaphosa appreciates the anguish and frustration of the families of victims, who have fought for so many years for justice,” the statement read.

The move follows a court case launched in January by 25 survivors and relatives of apartheid-era victims who are seeking damages from the government. They allege that successive South African governments since the late 1990s have failed to adequately investigate unresolved killings, disappearances, and other crimes committed during apartheid, despite recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

The TRC, established in 1996 by then-President Nelson Mandela and led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, aimed to expose and record apartheid-era crimes, offering amnesty to perpetrators who confessed their roles.

The ANC, which spearheaded the struggle against white minority rule and led South Africa to democracy in 1994, has faced criticism for allegedly prioritizing national reconciliation over justice for victims.

One of the most prominent unresolved cases is the “Cradock Four,” a group of Black anti-apartheid activists abducted and murdered by security forces in 1985. While security officers are suspected of torturing them and burning their bodies, no one has been prosecuted for their deaths, and the full circumstances remain unknown. This case is among thousands where victims and families remain without justice.

Lukhanyo Calata, whose father Fort was one of the Cradock Four, is part of the group that initiated the January court case. He claims that successive governments since the administration of President Thabo Mbeki (1999-2008) have failed to act on the TRC’s recommendations and denied victims and their families justice. Calata and other relatives allege that government ministers intervened to prevent the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.