‘Complete fabrication’: Mbeki rejects secret amnesty deal claims

Former president Thabo Mbeki appeared before the Khampepe Commission to deny claims of political interference in the delayed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) prosecutions. Mbeki stated that the only time he met apartheid-era military and police generals was when they approached the ANC to request amnesty, and he rejected any allegations of secret meetings. The ANC leadership, he explained, had offered to approach De Klerk and his cabinet in an attempt to persuade them to appear as well.

Mbeki emphasized that the ANC had chosen to apply for collective amnesty for its own political leadership, aiming to set an example for the apartheid cabinet, which ultimately led to the TRC's decision to overturn the TRC's amnesty for the Group of 37. Regarding allegations of executive interference, Mbeki stressed that he was the president, not the prosecutor, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) would handle post-TRC prosecutions.

The former president also addressed the matter of presidential pardons for those who had not applied for amnesty. He stated that for relevant pardon cases, it was desirable to replicate the processes of the TRC's 1993 amnesty unit, encouraging truth-telling while discouraging immunity or general amnesty. He highlighted the importance of cooperation between state institutions to prevent continued threats from apartheid-era networks and structures.