The move comes after survivors and relatives of victims of apartheid-era crimes launched a court case against Ramaphosa’s government.
Published On 30 Apr 2025
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry to establish whether previous governments led by his party intentionally blocked investigations and prosecutions of apartheid-era crimes, taking a step that survivors and families of those who were killed had demanded for decades.
The landmark move will address allegations of “improper influence in delaying or hindering” investigations levelled against post-apartheid governments led by the African National Congress (ANC) party, Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement on Wednesday.
“President Ramaphosa appreciates the anguish and frustration of the families of victims, who have fought for so many years for justice,” Ramaphosa’s office said.
The president’s announcement of a judicial commission of inquiry came after 25 survivors and relatives of victims of apartheid-era crimes launched a court case against his government in January, seeking damages.
They alleged that successive South African governments since the late 1990s had failed to properly investigate unresolved killings, disappearances and other crimes during the time of forced racial segregation despite recommendations made by the post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The commission was set up in 1996 by then-President Nelson Mandela under the chairmanship of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner