Wed Apr 30 22:50:06 UTC 2025: ## South Africa to Investigate Allegations of Cover-Up in Apartheid-Era Crimes
**Cape Town, South Africa** – President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a judicial inquiry into allegations that post-apartheid South African governments intentionally obstructed investigations and prosecutions of apartheid-era crimes. This landmark decision follows decades of campaigning by survivors and families of victims and a recent court case launched against the government in January.
The inquiry will investigate claims of “improper influence” hindering investigations into killings, disappearances, and other atrocities committed during the apartheid regime. The President’s office acknowledged the “anguish and frustration” of victims’ families who have long sought justice.
The move comes in response to a lawsuit filed by 25 survivors and relatives who argued that successive governments, since the late 1990s, failed to act on recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), established in 1996 under Nelson Mandela. While the TRC aimed to expose apartheid-era crimes and offer amnesty to perpetrators who confessed, many cases remain unresolved.
The case of the Cradock Four – four anti-apartheid activists abducted and murdered in 1985 – exemplifies the ongoing struggle for justice. Lukhanyo Calata, whose father was among the victims, alleges government interference in preventing investigations and prosecutions. He and other relatives contend that ministers actively worked to shield perpetrators from accountability.
Critics argue that prioritizing national reconciliation over justice for victims has characterized the ANC’s governance since the end of apartheid in 1994. The inquiry will now determine whether these criticisms are substantiated, examining whether deliberate actions were taken to impede the pursuit of justice for the countless victims of apartheid-era violence.
First Piper 