TRC Roulette : ‘Bodyguard of lies’ — Mbeki denies political interference in TRC matters, blames NPA

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has filed an exhaustive 82-page statement with the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into the delayed Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) prosecutions. He vehemently denies multiple allegations, including claims that he engaged in secret discussions with apartheid-era generals and former President FW de Klerk. The families of victims, represented by the Calata Group, have accused Mbeki of suppressing TRC prosecutions and diverting blame to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Mbeki attributes the delays in prosecuting TRC cases to the NPA, drawing a parallel with Winston Churchill's strategy of deception during World War II. He asserts that the NPA's failure to discharge its duties and allegations of interference are part of a manufactured "Bodyguard of Lies" to conceal the truth behind the non-prosecution of cases referred by the TRC.

Mbeki denies attending meetings with de Klerk and security chiefs to seek a political solution to halt prosecutions. He also denies any agreement to halt prosecutions or the creation of a general amnesty. He claims that post-TRC prosecution delays were due to unmotivated former apartheid-era prosecutors within the NPA, rather than any direct interference from him.

The Calata Group alleges that Mbeki failed to instruct minister of justice, national directors of public prosecutions, and police commissioners to investigate TRC cases, potentially leading to interference. Mbeki denies these claims, stating that he held no constitutional or statutory power to direct prosecutors or police regarding individual criminal investigations or prosecutions.

He acknowledges the establishment of the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit within the Office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions to handle TRC-related prosecutions three weeks before his parliamentary speech.