Former president Thabo Mbeki continues to insist there was no political interference in the prosecution of apartheid-era atrocity cases – despite court rulings, sworn testimony from senior prosecutors and documentation that asserts the exact opposite.
And, while Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola chose not to challenge the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) evidence about the interference it said blocked the prosecution of cases identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Mbeki now appears intent on doing so.
In a statement released on Wednesday, he takes aim at News24 for its coverage of the sworn testimony given by former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Vusi Pikoli and other state officials about the way in which then-National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla and several other named officials allegedly sought to stymy TRC cases.