News24 | ‘A fabrication’: Mbeki denies his govt had secret meetings with apartheid generals

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki appeared at the Kampepe Commission of Inquiry on Monday.

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• Former President Thabo Mbeki is appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Cases Inquiry, which was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in May 2025.
• Mbeki has been accused of secretly meeting with military and police generals over possible amnesty.
• Mbeki denies the allegation.
• For more political news, visit News24 Politics.

Former president Thabo Mbeki has dismissed claims that his presidency had “secret meetings” with apartheid-era military generals in order to protect them against prosecution.

Mbeki appeared before the Kampepe Commission of Inquiry, led by former Justice Sisi Kampepe, where he submitted a 25-page supplementary affidavit regarding the halted TRC investigations and/or prosecutions.

Those in attendance to hear Mbeki’s testimony included AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel, former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane, former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and unionist Zwelinzima Vavi, among others.

Mbeki said: “That we had secret meetings with the generals? It’s a complete fabrication. There is no such thing. There were no meetings that took place in order to secure amnesty for them.

Mbeki said:

There was one particular meeting, with both generals of the SANDF and SA Police, where they raised a problem they faced. They said to us that what they think needs to happen is that their political principal, FW de Klerk and Cabinet, ought to come to the amnesty committee to tell the truth about what they did on these matters that are addressed by the amnesty committee.

He said the generals’ argument was that they were merely foot soldiers “implementing decisions coming from above”.

READ | Khampepe stays on as TRC inquiry chair after ConCourt dismisses Zuma and Mbeki bid

Mbeki has been accused by family members of the Calata Group, led by journalist Lukhanyo Calata, who is the son of Ford Calata, of giving political protection to those accused of serious apartheid crimes.

Advocate Ngwako Maenetje, SC, led the witness evidence during Mbeki’s appearance and quizzed the former president about the allegations.

In a statement filed to the commission on 5 October, Mbeki placed the blame for the lack of prosecutions on the NPA.

Calata had accused Mbeki of disrespecting the commission, citing the legal action Mbeki initiated to interdict the commission.

Mbeki denied the allegations, saying he respected the commission’s work.

In a 2003 speech, Mbeki said there would be no general amnesty.

Kampepe asked whether there were cases in which people who did not testify before the Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) approached the Mbeki administration.

Mbeki responded in the affirmative, saying that his administration sought to handle some of those cases.

The TRC had ceased to exist, but cases continued to arise.

Mbeki said the government recommended throwing the matters to the NPA.

In his 2003 speech, Mbeki announced a special dispensation for presidential pardons.

The process was meant to cover those who were denied amnesty by the TRC and who felt they were convicted for politically motivated actions.

“That particular route did not work,” Mbeki said, adding that they then went back to Parliament and asked it to set up particular structures.