Geophrey Ledwaba denies halting Truth and Reconciliation Commission prosecutions, asserting his compliance with National Prosecution Authority policies amid allegations of political interference.

Testifying at the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Tuesday, Geophrey Ledwaba, the former head of operations at the Scorpions, said the "Calata Group" (families of murdered victims) had "mischaracterised" his 2003 instructions concerning TRC matters.

The families have claimed that following former president Thabo Mbeki's parliamentary speech in April 2003 calling for an Amnesty Task Team (ATT) to deal with the unfinished business of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), individuals with "power and influence moved quickly to ensure TRC cases were shut down".

The families specifically allege a "systematic blocking" of justice, claiming that whenever TRC prosecutors attempted to launch investigations, they were met with a wall of resistance. This obstruction supposedly took the form of a coordinated refusal by both the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO, or the Scorpions) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to provide any investigative support.

Official NPA policy

Ledwaba was summoned to the inquiry to respond to a claim by the families that he had made a "remarkable decision" in July 2003 to halt DSO investigations into TRC matters.

He told the commission on Tuesday that this memorandum had been "incorrectly labelled" by the Calata Group as...