By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
National Director of Public Prosecutions head Shamila Batohi and Justice Minister Ronald Lamola were called to appear before Parliament to answer questions about Investigating Directorate (ID) head Hermione Cronje’s resignation.
It has been reported that corrupt officials are still sitting in key positions in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and friction with Batohi are said to be behind the sudden resignation this week of Cronjé as head of the Investigating Directorate.
Lamola declined to brief the portfolio committee on Cronje’s resignation as ID head. He said that will be dealt with by Batohi.
Batohi said Cronje’s resignation will be dealt with on a legal-technical level and not a political one. She again stressed that “this is not a crisis”.
She said her resignation was a culmination of many factors but won’t give details.
They were also asked about the NPA’s failure to meet its own 2 December deadline to make a decision on whether to prosecute anyone for the 1985 Cradock 4 murders.
Batohi said the NPA will set up dedicated teams to investigate Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases.
She said the NPA is trying to ensure that it is “not only families with means” that are able to pressurise the state into pursuing TRC cases.
Batohi said the state will file an answer to the litigation launched by the Cradock 4 families on 13 December.
Lamola said the department does understand the impatience of murdered anti-apartheid victims and hopes “the process going forward” will help bring them with closure.
Batohi then told MPs there is a centralised approach to ensure that all the cases are dealt with.
“We must recall that the TRC matter for various reasons has not received the focus and attention that this cases needed, it is critically important for the families of the victims, for the survivors to receive justice in this matters, and the reality is that up until now our country as a whole has failed them in terms of holding accountable those responsible,” she said.
Lamola revealed that the justice department approached retired Constitutional Court justice Kate O’Reagan to conduct a court-ordered inquiry into alleged political interference in cases that the TRC recommended should be investigated and prosecuted but She declined.
Batohi added that the process to recruit more prosecutors is underway.
“The capacity has been put in place and we need to give it some time to start seeing these cases coming through, we are working with the investigators that the families have appointed and it is this close collaboration with the family that will allow us to proceed.”
Portfolio chairperson Gratitude Magwanishe gave an emotional address on the need for the TRC cases to be resolved and points out that, the longer these matters drag on, the less likely it is that anyone will be prosecuted.
The victims of apartheid persecution fought for the democratic society we have now, he said, adding that they were owed answers and justice.
He said the committee should meet quarterly to monitor progress in these cases.