Khampepe Commission sets timeline for Advocate Semenya recusal applications
The Khampepe Commission of Inquiry, established to probe alleged political interference in TRC-related investigations and prosecutions, began its public hearings on Monday at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg.
The opening session was dominated by procedural disputes over the role of evidence leaders, with the spotlight on the recusal of Advocate Ishmael Semenya.
Legal representatives raised concerns over Semenya’s prior involvement advising the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on policies central to the inquiry.
They argued that his continued participation in leading certain witnesses could compromise the fairness of the proceedings.
The commission has now set a clear timetable for handling the recusal applications.
"We issue the following directions with regard to the application for the recusal of Advocate Semenya. It is directed that the National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Justice are to file their founding papers in the application for recusal by Wednesday, the 12th of November, and answer that by Monday, the 18th of November," said Justice Sisi Khampepe.
"A reply, if any, by Thursday, the 20th of November. Written argument is to be filed by the parties by Monday, the 24th of November, and oral argument is to be heard on Wednesday, the 26th of November, 2025."
The Khampepe Commission, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 29 May 2025, is tasked with investigating interference that prevented hundreds of murder and other serious criminal cases related to the TRC from proceeding.
It is not a repetition of the TRC, but a quasi-judicial inquiry into how state institutions allegedly obstructed justice.
The commission will reconvene following the resolution of the recusal applications to continue with witness testimony, marking the beginning of a landmark inquiry into South Africa’s handling of TRC-related criminal cases.
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