The EFF has expressed support for families suing President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government for R167-million over apartheid-era crimes.
This follows a press briefing by the Foundation for Human Rights held at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, where families of anti-apartheid activists launched their lawsuit against Ramaphosa and the state.
The lawsuit, brought by 25 families, seeks R167-million in constitutional damages for the state’s failure to investigate and prosecute apartheid-era crimes.
These families include relatives of the Cradock Four, Nokuthula Simelane, Imam Abdullah Haron, and many others.
Courageous act of accountability
In their statement, the EFF called the lawsuit “a courageous act of accountability”.
“This litigation is a necessary step for accountability and justice after decades of broken promises,” said EFF national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys.
Mathys highlighted how political interference, beginning under Thabo Mbeki’s administration, obstructed efforts to prosecute more than 300 apartheid-era cases.
“Successive governments failed to act decisively,” Mathys added.
“Families had no choice but to turn to the courts as their last resort.”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), established to address apartheid atrocities, made several key recommendations. These include prosecuting unresolved cases, providing reparations to victims, and holding officials accountable.
However, the TRC’s recommendations were largely ignored.
Victims’ families were left without justice, reparations, or closure
Successive governments delayed or blocked prosecutions. And victims’ families were left without justice, reparations, or closure.
Lukhanyo Calata, son of Fort Calata from the Cradock Four and an award-winning journalist, has been vocal about the lack of justice for his father.
Nokuthula Simelane’s sister, Thembi Nkadimeng, who serves as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has also been a prominent advocate for justice.
The EFF condemned the ANC for leniency towards perpetrators of apartheid crimes, citing controversial decisions.
Mathys pointed to the parole of Eugene de Kock, known as “Prime Evil,” who lived on a state salary after his release.
“Meanwhile, families of the murdered activists remain without answers or closure,” she said.
Senior ANC officials interfered with prosecutions
Evidence presented by former NPA deputy director Vusi Pikoli revealed that senior ANC officials interfered with apartheid-era prosecutions.
Figures like Jackie Selebi and Billy Masetlha allegedly demanded control over TRC cases, stalling justice for victims.
The lawsuit also calls for an independent commission to investigate political interference in prosecuting apartheid crimes.
The foundation’s executive director, Dr Zaid Kimmie, described this as “essential for addressing systemic failure and restoring dignity to survivors”.
The EFF continued to criticise Ramaphosa’s administration for its inaction despite court rulings urging accountability.
“The Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed political interference obstructed TRC-recommended prosecutions between 2003 and 2017,” she said.
Families such as those of Imam Haron and Nokuthula Simelane continue to demand answers for torture, forced disappearances, and deaths in detention.
Many perpetrators died without facing trial
Many perpetrators died without facing trial, while evidence was lost, worsening the anguish for survivors.
“Freedom cannot exist without accountability. Those who betrayed the people’s struggle must be held to account,” said the EFF.
Mathys lauded the families’ courage, adding that their fight represents a collective demand for justice.
Moral reckoning for SA’s unfulfilled promises
The lawsuit represents more than compensation—it is a moral reckoning for South Africa’s unfulfilled promises.
For families haunted by unanswered questions, it is a painful but necessary fight to reclaim their loved ones’ dignity.
The families argue that the failure to act on the TRC’s recommendations violated their constitutional rights. It also deepened their suffering, making this lawsuit a last resort for justice.
