Exploring the ongoing struggle for justice: ‘Grave Injustice’ exhibition launches at Apartheid Museum

A NEW exhibition at the Apartheid Museum titled: ‘Grave Injustice: The Unfinished Business of the TRC; highlights the ongoing struggle for justice and reparations since the conclusion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2003.

- STAFF REPORTER

Curated by the Apartheid Museum in partnership with the Foundation for Human Rights, the exhibition sheds light on the enduring legacy of impunity and the urgent need for truth by sharing the powerful stories of the families and survivors who have led this decades-long fight for accountability.

In January 2025, twenty-five families of apartheid-era victims filed a lawsuit against the South African government, seeking R167 million in constitutional damages for its failure to pursue justice after the TRC ended in 2003. They also urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a commission of inquiry into longstanding allegations of political interference in these cases.

The lawsuit and call for a commission follow over two decades of struggle by families and survivors seeking accountability and closure for the loss of their loved ones in the fight for democracy.

In May 2025, Ramaphosa announced the formation of an independent judicial commission of inquiry, led by former Constitutional Court Judge Sisi Kamphepe, to investigate alleged political obstruction of apartheid-era prosecutions handed to the NPA since 2003.

The Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System will begin its hearings later this year, and is to complete its work in six months. Survivors, families and civil society organisations have welcomed the establishment of the commission, expressing hope that it will finally uncover who was responsible - and why - for obstructing investigations and prosecutions related to TRC cases.