A witness in the murder case of Joe Gqabi complained that an investigator had told him that the SSA had denied him access to files.
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Communication delays between investigators and the State Security Agency (SSA) are to blame for some of the frustrations experienced by complainants seeking justice for decades-old crimes.
A lead investigator at the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations was before the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry on Thursday, where he elaborated on his dealings with witnesses and the SSA.
The commission is delving into matters relating to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to determine if there has been any interference in apartheid-era murder investigations.
SSA delays
Hawks captain Magezi Sewele has been with the agency since 2021 and specialises in TRC investigations, having worked his way through the ranks since joining the police in 1995.
He was grilled specifically on an investigation into the murder of Joe Gqabi, an ANC activist murdered in Harare in 1981.
Legal representatives assisting the evidence leaders focused on correspondence between Sewele and one of the witnesses in the investigation.
Shadrack Ganda complained in a sworn statement that Sewele had told him he had been denied access to declassified SSA files, but Sewele said the issue was simply administrative.
Sewele disputed claims that he misled Ganda, who claimed the investigator told him he was being frustrated by the SSA.
“Maybe the word that he used here, ‘frustrated’, is incorrect. I don’t remember talking to him and telling him about my frustration. I only talk about a delay, not frustration.
“I said to him, there is a delay in the appointment of a liaison officer so that we can get files from the SSA,” explained Sewele.
Joe Qqabi murder
The investigator was handed the case in 2021, but the TRC had originally heard the alleged details of Gqabi’s murder.
Ivan Davids is believed to have been one of two men who shot Gqabi, but the TRC was unable to corroborate the information as Davids was killed in Angola in 1984.
Sewele confirmed that he had stopped interacting with Ganda as the witness wanted sensitive details on the investigation, which he could not divulge.
The investigator revealed that the SSA did not have some crucial information on the case, and defended the SSA processes.
“The SSA is not like any other office. They deal with serious matters there. It is within their rights to make sure that the correct procedures are followed before they can hand information to the investigators.
“As I have indicated, the investigation is ongoing. The SSA is not the only place where we are also looking for information,” said Sewele.
