TRC boss acquitted of sexual harassment

Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) Executive Director, Peshoane Tsikoane, has been cleared of charges of sexual assault and harassment, following a protracted trial that spanned over three years.

His lawyer, Advocate Monaheng Rasekoai, confirmed in a telephonic interview with theReporter yesterday that the charges were struck off the court roll on April 3, 2025, after a series of legal delays and procedural setbacks.

Tsikoane continues to hold his position at the TRC.

Rasekoai’s comments came after a June 30 correspondence to the TRC Board, which detailed the chronology of the case. The board has not responded to the letter.

The matter was initially heard in court on July 11, 2022, when Tsikoane was due to be remanded. However, the memo states that concerns about the credibility of the allegations had already been raised months earlier, in March 2022, by a senior prosecutor from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office.

The prosecutor reportedly questioned the legitimacy of the claims, some dating as far back as 2018, noting that the complainants had not reported the incidents to police or colleagues at the time.

Compounding matters, prosecutors repeatedly requested that the investigating officers include Tsikoane’s version of events in the docket: requests that were never fulfilled.

As the case weakened, complainants allegedly escalated the issue to the European Union (EU), a key donor to the TRC. According to Rasekoai, this move was interpreted by Tsikoane’s legal team as an attempt to undermine his reputation and jeopardise the TRC’s donor funding.

They argued that international pressure compromised the integrity of the legal process.

“In an unexpected development, the Prime Minister is said to have written directly to the DPP regarding the matter – an act that raised constitutional concerns about political interference in the prosecutorial process. We responded by filing a constitutional challenge. Despite several legal objections and attempts to have the matter referred to the High Court, the case dragged on.

“In July 2022, Mr Tsikoane filed for an urgent interdict to halt the proceedings. However, a major stumbling block was the DPP’s ongoing refusal to release key documents, including the investigation docket, the witness list, and the Prime Minister’s letter. These documents were crucial for preparing the defence.

“After months of delays, the High Court, in January 2025, ordered the DPP to provide the documents within seven days or face the case being dismissed. When the DPP failed to comply, the court struck the matter off the roll. The ruling brought to an end a long and bruising episode that left both Mr Tsikoane and the TRC institutionally and reputationally damaged. During the legal saga, TRC’s donor funding reportedly dried up, severely hampering its ability to serve disadvantaged communities,” the memo said.

Tsikoane’s legal team has described the ordeal as a “battle for justice” and a stark warning about the dangers of “trial by accusation,” especially in complex cases involving sexual misconduct.

“The case exposed how vulnerable accused persons—particularly men—can be to reputational damage and institutional bias, even when evidence is weak or politically manipulated,” the memo reads.

Efforts to contact Tsikoane for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone went straight to voicemail.

On the other hand, Rasekoai was a bit cage, as he told our reporter: “The memo was internal and merely informed the board of the development. We were not expecting any formal response.”