“At present we, as family and friends of apartheid victims, are of the view that ‘justice delayed is indeed justice denied’.”

The families asked Ramaphosa to prioritise these TRC cases that were ignored for decades.

They also drew Ramaphosa’s attention to a letter dated February 5 this year, written by former TRC commissioners.

The commissioners asked Ramaphosa to apologise to victims of apartheid-era atrocities who had been denied justice for several decades and suffered considerable trauma as a result.

The former TRC commissioners had also called on Ramaphosa to appoint a commission of inquiry into the political interference that had stopped the investigation and prosecution of virtually all of the cases referred by the TRC to the NPA.

“According to our records, it was observed that these members have to date not received any response to the above correspondence and for us, being family and friends of victims of that vicious inhumane system that disregarded our family members and friends’ human rights, this is very disconcerting.”

The families asked Ramaphosa to address them during Thursday's state of the nation address.

“Essentially, we would like to drive home the point that as you address us all during the opening of parliament on June 20, that you remember – even by mentioning some of the names - all of these martyred men and women,” the families said.