The Hefer commission postponed its public hearings on Monday so that intelligence documents could be obtained to aid its investigation into spying allegations.
Judge Joos Hefer said the postponement to November 12 was unavoidable.
”No good purpose can be served by continuing our public hearings until we have exhausted all other avenues to obtain the necessary documentation,” he said.
In the mean time, he would take ”whatever steps necessary” to obtain relevant documents from the intelligence agencies.
He spoke of between 5 000 to 7 000 police files that were collected from police offices across South Africa and gathered in Pretoria. Apparently these files indicated the names of people who acted as informants for the apartheid government.
Hefer said either the commission or its investigators would have to look through all these files to determine whether National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was an apartheid-era spy.
Monday’s postponement follows a submission by the country’s intelligence community on Friday.
George Bizos, SC, for the security services, told the commission it would have to follow a required legal procedure to apply for the release of requested intelligence information. The head of the particular agency to which an application had been made, would then decide whether information might be disclosed, Bizos said.
His submission was regarded as a set-back.
The Hefer hearings will continue on November 12 in the Justicia building in Bloemfontein as the Supreme Court of Appeal’s roll will then be running again.- Sapa