By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former minister of justice Ronald Lamola appeared before TRC Inquiry into Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) prosecution on Monday, 24 August 2026.
Lamola was under cross-examination by the counsel for the families of victims Advocate Howard Varney, regarding his role as Justice Minister in longstanding delays in prosecuting TRC cases.
During his previous testimony last week, Lamola told the Commission that he had focused his efforts on ensuring that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had the necessary resources to investigate and prosecute TRC-related matters.
He was referring to several key cases that resulted in landmark judgments, including those involving Ahmed Timol, the Cradock Four, Chief Albert Luthuli, Griffiths Mxenge, Neil Aggett and Hossen Haffajee.
Lamola said he prioritised securing funding and personnel for the NPA and Hawks to prosecute apartheid-era crimes, rather than diverting scarce resources to the State Capture commission.
He has reiterated that at the time, the Justice Department was grappling with severe budget constraints while also having to fund what he termed the most expensive commission on record, chaired by Raymond Zondo.
Varney began by commending Lamola, noting that significant progress had been made in advancing TRC-related cases during his administration.
During his tenure, Lamola deployed his then-deputy minister, John Jeffery, to engage with the families of victims. He said he also met and engaged directly with some families on an informal basis, including the families of the Cradock Four – Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli.
However, he could not recall the exact dates of these engagements, although he indicated that some may have taken place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lamola also acknowledged that some families of the victims were unhappy with the decentralisation of TRC cases but said he believed the process was the best way forward.
This became one of the contentious issues among the NPA, ministers and families, according to Lamola.
Initially, the cases were handled centrally at the NPA’s head office before being decentralised to various provinces and placed under the authority of Directors of Public Prosecutions (DPPs).
The Commission also prevented Lamola from commenting on the NDPP’s memorandum, which had been sent to the Minister in preparation for a question-and-answer session in Parliament, because the document had not been furnished to him.
According to Varney, the NPA’s memorandum acknowledged that there had been an unwillingness or internal obstruction to prosecuting some of the TRC-related cases.
“What would be the importance of putting the questions arising from the memo that was not received by the witness. The evidence has not been placed before us,” Commission chairperson, Sisi Khampepe, said.
Lamola’s evidence comes as inquiry awaits a constitutional court judgment, following an application by former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki, who have refused to appear before the inquiry.
The two former heads of state are seeking the recusal of chairperson, Justice Khampepe, on grounds of alleged bias.
Lamola said that accountability should extend to everyone who may have been responsible for or interfered with the investigation and prosecution of these cases.