TRC Cases Inquiry hears lack of political will hindered prosecutions
Pretorious was quizzed on the loss of dockets by the unit of the Cradock 4.
At the TRC Cases Inquiry in Newtown, Johannesburg, Dr Jacobus Pretorious, a long-time member of the NPA’s Priority Crimes Litigation Unit, testified that a lack of political will and interference hindered the investigation and prosecution of TRC cases. While some blame could be placed on the NPA, Pretorious emphasized the dominant role played by direct political interference and insufficient resources.
He clarified the distinction between political will and political intervention, stating that a lack of will prevented the recruitment of necessary investigators, leading to chronic under-resourcing over an extended period. Pretorious also confronted inaccuracies in the testimony of anti-apartheid activist Reverend Frank Chikane, including the claim that the NPA failed to follow up on information related to Project Coast and the failure to prosecute Wouter Basson, head of the apartheid government's chemical and biological warfare program.
He highlighted that Chikane, himself, was a witness in the prosecution and that his testimony regarding the poison list was inconsistent.
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