Unearthing the past: Ramaphosa launches judicial probe into apartheid-era crimes in pursuit of long-awaited justice

President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a decisive step toward resolving one of South Africa most enduring wounds, announcing on Wednesday the creation of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged obstruction of apartheid-era crime prosecutions.

The move follows decades of mounting frustration over stalled investigations into cases referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to the National Prosecuting Authority, with critics accusing successive governments of political interference.

The commission establishment marks a hard-won victory for families of apartheid victims, emerging from settlement negotiations in a landmark court application brought by relatives seeking accountability.

While the Presidency, victim representatives, and government bodies agreed on the need for this truth-seeking mechanism, they remain divided on broader legal claims.

Families continue to pursue constitutional damages and a court declaration that state entities violated their rights—a path the government argues should await the commission findings.

Ramaphosa, who first signaled support for such an inquiry in February 2025, framed the initiative as a critical juncture for national healing.

“Every family deserves closure,” he stated, acknowledging the “anguish and frustration” of those who’ve waited nearly three decades for justice.

The commission sweeping mandate will scrutinise systemic delays since the TRC 1998 handover of cases, probing whether officials unlawfully shielded perpetrators from prosecution.

As legal teams prepare to seek a pause on unresolved court matters pending the inquiry outcomes, anticipation builds around the yet-to-be-named commission head and its operational timeline.

For President Ramaphosa, it’s a defining moment to reconcile the nation fractured past with its democratic promises—one truth-seeking mission at a time.