TRC ROULETTE : SAPS refusal to pay legal costs stalled post-TRC Simelane prosecution, Nhleko tells Khampepe Commission
Former police minister Nathi Nhleko has told the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into delayed Truth and Reconciliation Commission prosecutions that the refusal to fund the legal fees of retired SAPS accused in the Nokuthula Simelane matter had a direct impact on the post-TRC prosecution of the case.
Former police minister Nathi Nhleko testified before the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry that the South African Police Service's (SAPS) refusal to fund legal fees for retired officials accused in the 1983 abduction, murder and disappearance of ANC courier Nokuthula Simelane directly impacted the post-TRC prosecution of the case. In 2016, four former Crime Intelligence members were scheduled to appear in court, but the SAPS’s refusal to cover their legal costs halted the process.
Nhleko acknowledged the consequences of this decision but denied any personal involvement in the decision-making. The SIMelane case, involving the abductor and two other officials, remained unresolved due to the SAPS’s administrative and operational choices, with the national police commissioner holding "sole operational command" over investigations.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
