AfriForum has applied to cross-examine former president Thabo Mbeki at the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry as the probe examines alleged interference in apartheid-era prosecutions.
According to TimesLIVE, the organisation wants its private prosecutions head, Gerrie Nel, to question Mbeki when he appears before the commission.
The inquiry is investigating whether attempts were made to stop or delay investigations and prosecutions arising from Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases. The Presidency confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa established the commission in May 2025.
Mbeki Expected to Give Evidence
TimesLIVE reports that Mbeki has submitted an 82-page affidavit denying the allegations and is expected to testify before the commission.
AfriForum wants him questioned about claims that political decisions may have influenced whether certain apartheid-era and liberation-struggle cases were prosecuted.
The organisation has also raised the 1985 ANC landmine attack near Musina, in which Kobie van Eck and her two children were killed.
These remain allegations and arguments being placed before the inquiry, not findings against Mbeki.
Commission Probes Delayed TRC Cases
The Presidency says the commission was created following settlement discussions in litigation brought by families of victims of apartheid-era crimes.
It is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Khampepe, assisted by retired Northern Cape Judge President Frans Diale Kgomo and Advocate Andrea Gabriel SC.
The commission’s task is to establish whether there were efforts to prevent or interfere with investigations and prosecutions linked to unresolved TRC matters.
Inquiry Extended to December
The Presidency announced in May that the commission’s deadline had been extended to 18 December 2026 to allow it to complete its work and submit its final report.
The official record also notes that applications for cross-examination form part of the commission’s process.
AfriForum’s specific request to question Mbeki still has to be dealt with through that process, according to TimesLIVE.