The move comes after survivors and relatives of victims of crime in the era of apartheid, in court cases against the Ramaphosa government.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation to determine whether a previous government led by his party intends to block investigations and prosecutions of crimes in apartheid era, and has taken a step to make the survivors and families of the killed people demanded for more than a decade.

The Ramaphosa office said in a statement Wednesday that the milestone would address allegations of “delay or hinder delay or hinder impact” against a segregated government (ANC) party led by the African National Assembly (ANC) party.

"President Ramaphosa thanked the victims' families for their pain and depression, who fought for justice," said Ramaphosa's office.

The president announced the Judicial Inquiry Commission news that 25 survivors and relatives of victims of apartheid crimes filed a lawsuit against his administration in January seeking compensation.

They claim that since the late 1990s, the South African government has failed to properly investigate unresolved homicides, disappearances and other crimes during forced apartheid, despite recommendations from the Post-Apartheid Facts and Reconciliation Commission.

The committee was established in 1996 by then-Nelson Mandela and was chaired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu.

Its mission is to expose and document crimes in the era of apartheid and to provide some responsible people with the opportunity to acknowledge their roles, including members of the National Security Forces of the apartheid government, involving many killings.

The ANC is at the forefront of the battle against the white minority regime, and when apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa became a democracy. But the government led by the ANC has since been criticized by some for prioritizing national reconciliation before justice for victims.

One of the most prominent unresolved cases is the Cradle Four, a group of black anti-apartheid activists kidnapped and murdered by security forces in 1985. Their bodies were burned and security personnel were suspected of torture them.

No one was prosecuted for killing, and the deaths were never fully revealed. These are thousands of crimes during apartheid, and victims and families still haven’t seen justice.

Lukhanyo Calata's father Fort is one of four in Cradock, part of a group that sent the South African government to court in January.

Karata said at the beginning of the court case, the South African government’s successive government has failed to act on the recommendations of the committee and denied justice of the victims and their families since the administration of President Thabo Mbeki from 1999 to 2008.

He and other relatives said government ministers intervened to prevent investigation and prosecution of crimes.