Former South African President denies impeding investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era cases

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Former South African President Thabo Mbeki said Monday that he had neither ordered prosecutors to stop cases involving apartheid-era crimes nor struck secret deals to shield former security officers from justice.“It’s a complete fabrication. There was no such thing,” Mbeki told a judicial inquiry in Johannesburg examining allegations that political interference in democratic South Africa prevented investigations and prosecutions of crimes committed under white minority rule.Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999 and served until 2008, said in a written statement that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) must explain why it failed to pursue cases referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).His testimony comes amid renewed efforts to resolve apartheid-era crimes left unprosecuted for decades. Ahead of his appearance, the Foundation for Human Rights and 25 families of victims and survivors called for an explanation and an apology.“After so many y