Lindsay Dentlinger | 25 November 2022 14:44
CAPE TOWN – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that it was taking truth and reconciliation cases very seriously.
A senior legal mind is set to be appointed soon, to review the handling of cases.
The NPA told Parliament on Friday that it wanted to work through all the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) referrals within the next three to five years.
Currently 129 cases have been enrolled.
As of last month, 64 additional apartheid-era crimes have been reopened for investigation.
Twenty-five dedicated prosecutors are working on cases across the provinces, along with 40 investigators.
Deputy director of national prosecutions, Rodney de Kock, said that an independent legal counsel, still to be appointed, would review the NPA’s work on these matters.
“The counsel we have approached is someone who has worked closely with the TRC matters. We want to be assured that whoever is assigned, will be in a position to understand the nature of the TRC work, the scope of the work and will also understand what is required by South Africa to advance this work.
In June, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola announced that he would appoint an inquiry to investigate political interference in the prosecution of TRC cases.
But De Kock said that the NPA believed that an independent review would be quicker.
“We felt that this is a better way, a better approach than having to spend lots and lots of money on an inquiry that will provide a report in two years’ time.”
De Kock has assured the committee that the work being done by the NPA’s TRC team, is completely independent and not being hindered by any outside interference.
https://ewn.co.za/2022/11/25/npa-to-appoint-senior-legal-counsel-to-review-progress-on-trc-cases
