Lamola says he didn’t support setting up TRC Cases Commission

Former Justice Minister Ronald Lamola is unapologetic that he did not support the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry into delays in TRC Cases prosecutions when it was proposed by families and civil society during his tenure.

The push for a probe was made to President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2021 by former TRC Commissioners.

In February 2024, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza also recommended the establishment of such an Inquiry, but it took court action launched by families in January 2025 for the current commission chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe to be set up by the President.

Lamola said he made a choice.

“If you are in my shoes you have to make your choices at that time do I abandon this course of supporting the NPA and the Hawks to prosecute the perpetrators of apartheid crime and shift the resources to an inquiry that is now going to deal with the post-democratic obstruction and prohibition alleged of the prosecution any reasonable person in my position, the focus will be on the prosecution of the apartheid criminals and that is what I focuses on and that is what I did.” Lamola explains.

Video: TRC Cases | Khampepe Commission of Inquiry: 19 August 2026