In a dramatic about-turn, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into TRC Cases has been forced to issue a public apology to several high-profile government ministers after an internal audit revealed its own technical failures were to blame for an apparent lack of cooperation.
This follows a recent media statement from the Inquiry that publicly named and shamed government departments and leaders for failing to respond to requests for information. However, a subsequent audit of correspondence has uncovered that a number of these notices were never actually delivered.
The audit, which reviewed 211 letters sent to current and former presidents, ministers of police and justice, and senior prosecution and police officials, found that 8 letters (3.8%) were returned undelivered due to wrong or defunct email addresses. More significantly, the audit revealed that a further 3% of letters were “lost” during the Inquiry’s migration from an IMAP email system to Microsoft 365 in mid-September.
Among the “lost” correspondence were letters sent to:
- The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi
- The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu
- The former National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Shaun Abrahams
Additionally, letters to former Minister of Police Bheki Cele and acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia were among those initially returned undelivered.
The Inquiry has now rescinded its accusations against these individuals and extended a “deepest regret” and “sincerest apologies” for wrongfully labelling them as non-compliant. All affected parties have been sent new correspondence and given a fresh deadline of 26 November 2025 to respond.
The audit also shed light on the response rate from those who did receive the notices. Of the 192 recipients who acknowledged the letters, an overwhelming 186 requested an extension, while only six—including former President Kgalema Motlanthe and current NDPP Adv. Shamila Batohi—met the original 10 October deadline. The findings expose not just a technical glitch, but a widespread reluctance among the nation’s top leaders to engage promptly with the sensitive investigation into unresolved TRC cases.
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