19 October 2026 · Reporting based on the verified sources below.

A consequential week for the inquiry

Former president Thabo Mbeki is scheduled to appear before the inquiry into unresolved Truth and Reconciliation Commission-related cases on Monday, 19 October, and Tuesday, 20 October 2026. Former president Jacob Zuma is scheduled for Thursday, 22 October. As of publication early on Monday, these are scheduled appearances; this report does not suggest testimony has already begun.

What the Khampepe inquiry is investigating

Chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Khampepe, the commission is examining allegations that political interference and institutional failures contributed to delays in investigating or prosecuting apartheid-era crimes identified by the TRC. It is not a criminal trial of the former presidents, and an appearance before the inquiry does not itself establish wrongdoing.

Mbeki rejects the interference allegation

In a statement submitted to the inquiry on 5 October and subsequently reported by Daily Maverick, Mbeki denied directing, authorising or approving suppression of TRC-related investigations or prosecutions. He argued that responsibility for the failures lay with the National Prosecuting Authority. His position is a response to allegations being examined; the commission has not yet delivered its findings.

The failed recusal challenge

Mbeki and Zuma had sought the recusal of Khampepe, raising concerns about her previous institutional roles. Their challenge did not succeed, and the inquiry’s hearing programme proceeded. The dispute over the chairperson should not obscure the central question posed by survivors and relatives: why have so many cases remained unresolved decades after the original commission’s work?

What to watch this week

The substance of any sworn testimony, the questioning by evidence leaders and the commission’s treatment of documentary records will be more important than the optics of the appearances. The inquiry is expected to report to the president in December 2026. CREATIVE KONG will distinguish evidence placed on record from accusations, denials and findings.

Sources and verification

SABC News, 18 October 2026: Source ↗

SABC News, 6 October 2026: Source ↗

Daily Maverick, 12 October 2026: Source ↗

eNCA, 6 October 2026: Source ↗