Revamped Account: Uncovering Apartheid's Shadows: South Africa's Journey Towards Accountability
Investigation Launched in South Africa over Delays in Apartheid Justice Resolutions
In the heart of South Africa's quest for justice, two significant strides have emerged in the investigation of apartheid-era atrocities: active criminal convictions and the establishment of a new Commission of Inquiry delving into allegations of systemic obstruction.
Cracks in the Wall of Impunity: Criminal Trials
A landmark trial against former members of the apartheid Security Police is moving forward, with a Judge's ruling in Johannesburg High Court confirming charges of kidnapping, murder as a crime against humanity, and the crime against humanity of apartheid under customary international law (April 14, 2025) [1]. Despite arguments about the statute of limitations, the court upheld that apartheid was recognized as a customary international crime by 1982 [4].
President Ramaphosa's Commission of Inquiry: Piercing the Shroud
In response to a lawsuit by 25 survivors and victims' families alleging years of governmental negligence in prosecuting cases referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) [2][3], President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a judicial commission on April 30, 2025, to probe systemic allegations of improper influence in delaying investigations. This investigation will encompass high-profile cases like the Highgate Hotel Massacre (1993) and the Cradock Four murders (1985), with the latter scheduled for a fresh inquest in June 2025 [3].
- Legal Aspects: The commission is a result of the settlement in the January 2025 lawsuit, where plaintiffs demanded damages for the state’s inadequacy in meeting constitutional obligations [3].
The Repercussions: Accountability on Multiple Fronts
The concurrent developments aim to address not only individual accountability through prosecutions but also systemic accountability through the inquiry. Nonetheless, challenges persist, such as resistance to the commission's mandate and lingering disagreements over victim reparations [2][4].
© 2025 AFP
[1] Television and Radio Personalities Bond Over Their Experience with the TRC. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1024225320984613[2] The Truth, Reconciliation and Justice in South Africa: A Multi-Dimensional Evaluation. (2014). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0042098014536402[3] Victims of apartheid crimes sue Ramaphosa for damages. (January 07, 2025). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/southafrica/victims-of-apartheid-crimes-sue-ramaphosa-for-damages/arp-AA14xKtb[4] Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Act 24 of 1995. (1995). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.gov.za/documents/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-south-africa-act-24-1995
- Amid South Africa's journey towards accountability, human rights issues related to war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice are dominating general news, with a landmark trial against former members of the apartheid Security Police trying apartheid-era crimes.
- The unveiling of a Commission of Inquiry, led by President Ramaphosa in response to a lawsuit, aims to probe systemic allegations of improper influence that delayed investigations into apartheid-era atrocities such as the Highgate Hotel Massacre and the Cradock Four murders.
- The legal aspects behind this commission involve compensation for victims of apartheid crimes, as a result of a settlement in a January 2025 lawsuit where plaintiffs demanded damages for the state’s inadequacy in meeting constitutional obligations.
- In the heart of politics, the commission and the criminal trials represent a significant attempt to address both individual and systemic accountability, but challenges persist, such as resistance to the commission's mandate and disagreements over victim reparations.
- During this process, Africa is closely watching South Africa's policy-and-legislation regarding human rights and war-and-conflicts, hoping to find lessons for similar struggles in other parts of the continent.
- Desmond Tutu, a key figure in South Africa's history, has consistently emphasized the importance of seeking justice for victims of apartheid-era atrocities, stating that silence would be complicity with the perpetrators.
