Release the Moerane Commission Report

The Glebelands Hostel in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, has been the scene of scores of violent deaths. These deaths, commonly dubbed political killings, have been a regular occurrence at the hostel, and have made residents feel unsafe.

In response to the killings, Premier Willies Mchunu appointed the Moerane Commission of Inquiry to investigate the underlying causes of the killings and to come up with recommendations based on the evidence from the security forces, victims, families, political parties and local government. But the Commission completed its work in May and tabled the Moearane Commission to the Premier, and the report has not been released to the public. This cannot be. The public deserves to know.

Will you tell Premier Willies Mchunu to release the report to the public immediately?

Transparency in all issues pertaining to the Moerane Commission is important, and it upholds the values of accountability, transparency and responsiveness as enshrined in the Constitution. In March, it was reported that the Commission’s findings and recommendations would be made public [1], but the KwaZulu-Natal government made an about-turn stating that the provincial legislature needs to process the commission’s report, after which it will go to the premier’s portfolio committee for recommendations [2].

[1] Moerane Commission report into KZN political killings to be released within days, Kaveel Singh for News24. 4 June 2018.
[2] Report by Moerane Commission into KZN’s political killings could take another month for Business Day. 1 August 218.