The first few sessions of the Hefer Commission, sitting in Bloemfontein, and chaired by the former acting chief justice of South Africa, Judge Joos Hefer, are now over until they resume on Wednesday.

The commission was appointed by President Thabo Mbeki last month to examine allegations that Bulelani Ngcuka, the national director of public prosecutions, was an informer or spy for the security forces during the apartheid era.

It then had its terms of reference extended by the president to include an examination of whether Penuel Maduna, the minister of justice, had abused his official position in terms of his relationship with Ngcuka's office.

The commission has gotten off to a bumpy start for a number of reasons.

First, it rapidly became apparent that two of the main participants, Mac Maharaj, the former minister of transport, and Mo Shaik, a former diplomat and African National Congress security operative, had not been allowed sufficient time for preparation or had not had the necessary resources for adequate preparation.

Second, another important participant, Ranjeni Munusamy, a former Sunday Times journalist, indicated that she, as a journalist needing to protect her sources of information, did not wish to testify. The commission chairperson ruled that she should testify, whereupon she took the chairperson's ruling on review. This effectively put her participation on hold until the review is completed by the high court or perhaps the constitutional court.

Finally, as the commission chairperson indicated, the pace of the commission's investigation is largely now dependent on outside government agencies, where documents are lodged, and this situation is likely to cause further delays.

This stuttering start does not engender enormous happiness. In addition, it has rapidly become evident - from both words said inside the commission and outside the doors of the appeal court, where sessions are being held - that a great deal of dirty washing, most of it belonging to the ANC, is going to be hung out in the public gaze.

Meanwhile, Ngconde Balfour, the minister of sport, announced on Friday that the King commission, appointed to investigate alleged racism in South African rugby and chaired by retired judge Edward King, will begin as soon as the national rugby team returns from the Rugby World Cup tournament in Australia. The inquiry was postponed in September to allow the Springboks to concentrate on preparation for the World Cup.

To judge by some of the material that has already filtered into the media and the public arena, this inquiry is also likely not to be the most uplifting of national experiences. Again, a great deal of dirty laundry is likely to be unpacked - and we are not referring here to rugby jerseys and socks. In short, it appears that, as the year winds down, and as the country moves into the season of goodwill, the public are going to be watching and reading about much that is neither edifying nor joyous.

It cannot be particularly pleasing for any of us that two of the most senior people responsible for the administration of justice in this country, as well as a number of our sports people and administrators, are going to be placed in the glare of opprobrium and vilification.

Still, this is a country that has committed itself firmly to transparency and truth. We are also a society that does not want the slightest whiff of corruption to adhere to its leaders nor do we want anything more to do with racism.

And if these commissions are the processes through which people must go to clear their names, and which the society must go through to have the air cleared, then so be it. But let us move as fast as we can to examine, clean up an then cauterise the festering sores.

With acknowledgement to The Sunday Independent.