Pretoria - Imtiaz Cajee, the nephew of murdered anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol, has welcomed the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) appointment of advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC, to review its performance regarding prosecutions in long-outstanding Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases .
Cajee who has for years been fighting for justice for apartheid victims, said the move was long overdue.
He vowed in 1996 during the TRC proceedings, to preserve the legacy of his uncle Ahmed Timol who died in detention during apartheid, as well as of other victims of apartheid.
Reacting to Ntsebeza’s appointment, Cajee told the Pretoria News that this was definitely a step in the right direction.
“Allegations of political interference in post-TRC prosecutions surfaced in mid-2000 when advocates Vusi Pikoli and Anton Ackerman deposed affidavits in the Nokuthula Simelane matter.”
He said these re-surfaced in 2019 in the Joao Rodrigues full Bench hearing at the high court in Johannesburg. This was during the former security cop’s application for a stay of his prosecution for the murder of Timol.
“Importantly, Ntsebeza must review mechanisms put in place by the NPA to ensure that no political interference hinders the NPA in post-TRC prosecutions.
“Understandably, the families are frustrated and angered with no progress forthcoming … since 2003.”
Cajee implored the NPA to move with speed to conclude investigations and provide families with closure.
The families of other apartheid victims have also hailed Ntsebeza’s appointment as a step in the right direction. They believed that more than one person should have been assigned to perform such a mammoth task. The NPA said it had taken an important step to further enhance its efforts to deal with and prosecute cases stemming from the TRC.
“Over the last couple of years, the NPA has focused on reopening and pursuing priority cases, and enhancing its internal capacity, land processes both to ensure effective handling of these cases, and to prevent any undue political influence.
“Sixty-four new cases have been registered for investigation, 25 prosecutors and 40 investigators have been appointed within the various divisions to deal specifically with TRC matters.
“As part of this effort, the NPA has appointed Ntsebeza to review the measures that have been adopted to deal with and prosecute TRC matters and to provide recommendations as needed,” the NPA said in a statement.
It said that there must be a public assurance from both the executive and the NPA that the kind of political interference that occurred in the TRC cases will never occur again. After 52 years, a new inquest was opened last year into the death in custody of apartheid icon Imam Abdullah Haron.
While the first of such cases, the inquest into Timol’s death put the much-needed spotlight on apartheid-era atrocities, but Rodrigues escaped justice dying before his trial could start.
Pretoria News