Zuma Defense Team Alleges Judicial Corruption and Collusion in High Stakes Bid to Oust Khampepe

Advocate Dali Mpofu alleges Sisi Khampepe coached evidence leaders in the TRC inquiry. Read about the gross misconduct claims in the Zuma recusal case.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 16, 2026, 6:51 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from EWN

Allegations of Shadow Coaching and Judicial Bias

The legal proceedings surrounding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) inquiry reached a volatile tipping point on Monday as counsel for former President Jacob Zuma leveled charges of corruption against the commission’s chair. Advocate Dali Mpofu, representing Zuma before a full bench of judges, asserted that evidence has emerged suggesting Sisi Khampepe interfered with the impartiality of the process. According to Mpofu, a whistleblower has come forward alleging that Khampepe actively guided the commission’s evidence leaders in crafting their response to an application for her own removal. This development has cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the inquiry’s leadership.

Whistleblower Claims Point to Research Sharing and Collusion

At the heart of the defense’s argument is the claim that Khampepe engaged in a back-channel collaboration with Advocate Ishmael Semenya SC. Mpofu informed the court that the chairperson reportedly advised Semenya on specific weaknesses in his legal strategy and shared internal research to bolster his position. The defense team characterized these actions not merely as procedural errors but as gross misconduct and corruption. By allegedly coaching one party against another, Khampepe is accused of violating the fundamental principles of neutrality required of an inquiry chair, effectively sabotaging the fair hearing of the recusal application.

The Historical Tension Between Khampepe and Former Presidents

The push for Khampepe’s removal is not limited to Jacob Zuma; former President Thabo Mbeki has also raised formal objections to her leadership. Both leaders cite her previous involvement with the original TRC Commission and her professional history as a Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions between 1988 and 1999 as grounds for a conflict of interest. While Khampepe has previously rejected these attempts to unseat her, describing them as efforts to undermine the inquiry’s mandate, the new allegations of collusion add a fresh layer of complexity to the ongoing judicial standoff.