Former president Thabo Mbeki has dismissed as a “complete fabrication” allegations that he held secret meetings with apartheid-era generals to protect them from prosecution for crimes committed under apartheid.
Mbeki made the remarks while testifying before the Khampepe Commission, which is investigating alleged political interference and delays in prosecuting apartheid-era crimes referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
He acknowledged meeting security force generals who wanted former president FW de Klerk to testify before the TRC’s Amnesty Committee. However, he rejected claims that the meetings were intended to shield perpetrators from accountability.
Mbeki also addressed questions about presidential pardons granted during his tenure, saying he approved applications for 33 prisoners, including members of the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress who had been convicted of serious crimes.
The pardons drew criticism from those who argued that some beneficiaries had not gone through the TRC’s amnesty process.
Mbeki also pointed to the National Prosecuting Authority as he responded to questions about the delays in prosecuting apartheid-era crimes.
He highlighted the complexity of South Africa’s transition to democracy, noting that negotiations between the ANC and the apartheid government took six years to conclude.
Mbeki compared the agreements reached during the negotiations to pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, arguing that changing one part could have affected the entire settlement.
Photo: X/ @TMFoundation_
