Zuma’s Legal Team Accuses TRC Inquiry Chair Sisi Khampepe Of Misconduct In High Court

A fresh legal confrontation is unfolding in the South Gauteng High Court, where former President Jacob Zuma’s legal team has launched a serious challenge against the leadership of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission inquiry.

Zuma’s counsel claims the chair of the inquiry, Sisi Khampepe, committed misconduct by allegedly assisting one of the commission’s own evidence leaders while the matter of her recusal was under dispute.

The allegation, presented before a full bench of judges, could complicate an already tense inquiry examining unresolved matters connected to the legacy of the country’s original TRC process.

Zuma’s Lawyers Seek Disclosure From Inquiry

The application before the court is aimed at compelling the TRC inquiry to release information that Zuma’s legal team believes will support claims of bias.

Advocate Dali Mpofu told the court that a whistleblower had come forward with allegations that Khampepe advised one of the inquiry’s evidence leaders on how to respond to Zuma’s application asking that she step down as chair.

According to Mpofu, the whistleblower claims Khampepe assisted advocate Ishmael Semenya by pointing out weaknesses in the argument against her recusal and sharing research material that could strengthen the response.

If proven, Mpofu argued, the conduct would amount to bias and undermine the fairness of the proceedings.

He told the court that the alleged actions “amount to bias, gross misconduct or corruption” because the chairperson was effectively assisting one side in a dispute in which she herself was the subject.

Why Zuma Wants Khampepe Removed

The dispute over Khampepe’s role did not begin with this latest allegation.

Both Zuma and former President Thabo Mbeki have previously objected to her appointment as chair of the inquiry dealing with unresolved TRC cases.

Their objection centres on Khampepe’s historical links to the original TRC process as well as her earlier role in the National Prosecuting Authority, where she served as Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions between 1988 and 1999.

Zuma’s legal team argues that these past roles create a potential conflict of interest when presiding over an inquiry revisiting unresolved TRC matters.

Khampepe, however, has already rejected calls for her removal and has previously defended her position as chair of the inquiry.

A Sensitive Chapter In South Africa’s History

The inquiry itself is part of a broader attempt to revisit cases that were not fully resolved during South Africa’s original Truth and Reconciliation Commission process in the 1990s.

For many South Africans, the TRC symbolised the country’s attempt to confront apartheid-era crimes while building a path toward reconciliation. Yet some cases were left unresolved, leading to years of criticism from victims’ families who argue that justice was delayed.

The latest legal clash in the High Court highlights how those unresolved questions still carry political and legal weight decades later.

As the court considers Zuma’s request for disclosure and arguments around Khampepe’s alleged conduct, the outcome could shape the future direction and credibility of the inquiry itself.

{Source:EWN}

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