Twenty-five families challenge Ramaphosa on apartheid justice

Twenty-five families of victims and survivors of political crimes from the apartheid era have filed a lawsuit against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his administration, claiming a failure to adequately investigate these offenses and provide justice.

The group is pursuing approximately 167 million rand (around $9 million) in damages, as detailed in a case submitted to the High Court in Pretoria on Monday, which was later publicized by the Foundation for Human Rights, an NGO that supports the families.

Additionally, they are requesting a court order that would require Ramaphosa to establish a commission of inquiry into the "political interference that led to the suppression of numerous serious crimes stemming from South Africa's history," as stated in a release from the applicants.

A representative for Ramaphosa indicated that his legal team would address the court documents appropriately, asserting that the president has never interfered with law enforcement operations or instructed them against prosecuting apartheid-era offenses.

For decades, South Africa was governed by a white minority regime that enforced systemic racial segregation, transitioning to a multi-racial democracy in 1994.

The African National Congress (ANC) has been in power since then, but last year it had to share authority with smaller parties after losing its majority in a national election.

The lead applicant in this case is Lukhanyo Calata, whose father, Fort Calata, was one of the "Cradock Four," a group of four anti-apartheid activists murdered in 1985.

Despite ongoing inquiries, no one has been held accountable for these crimes, and a third inquest is set to begin this year, although many key individuals associated with the killings have since passed away.

"The prolonged delay in achieving justice has effectively ensured that our families are denied justice forever," Calata remarked.

Other applicants include two survivors of the 1993 Highgate Massacre, where masked assailants killed five patrons at a hotel bar, along with relatives of other anti-apartheid activists who were murdered or went missing.