By Johnathan Paoli
Family members and survivors of apartheid-era crimes have announced filing a constitutional damages lawsuit in the North Gauteng High Court against President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government.
The applicants, supported by the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) and Weber Wenzel Attorneys, say the government’s failure to investigate and prosecute unresolved crimes from the country’s apartheid past violates their constitutional rights to justice, equality and dignity.
The lawsuit stems from unfulfilled recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which concluded its work in 2002.
The TRC has urged for the prosecution of individuals involved in apartheid crimes who did not qualify for amnesty.
However successive governments, beginning with that of former president Thabo Mbeki, have largely failed to act on these recommendations.
Applicants in the case include families of high-profile victims such as the Cradock Four, Pebco Three, the COSAS 4, survivors of the Highgate Hotel Massacre,
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