The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in South Africa after apartheid to uncover the truth and heal the rift between black and white South Africans. It had three committees dealing with human rights violations, reparation and rehabilitation, and amnesty. Some criticized the commission for focusing on reconciliation rather than retribution, but others saw it as a strong model for national reconstruction.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established in South Africa after the end of apartheid to help transition the nation to a state of full democracy. It was also meant to uncover the truth about what went on in South Africa during the era, as the name suggests, and to begin healing the rift between black and white South Africans. Several other nations have used it as a model for their own commissions after periods of war and violence.
The mandate for the commission was spelled out in the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, Number 34, in 1995. The act spelled out the need for a commission to hold hearings for both Apartheid victims and perpetrators in South Africa in hopes of helping the nation heal from the events of Apartheid. Many prominent South Africans, including Desmond Tutu, were appointed to the commission, which released a final report in 1998.
There were three committees in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The first dealt with human rights violations, listening to the testimonies of victims of such violations. The second dealt with reparation and rehabilitation, helping both parties rebuild their lives and imposing reparation payments where appropriate. The Third Committee had the power to grant amnesty to people who testified in full about their actions during Apartheid.
Although the commission was based in Cape Town, it traveled throughout South Africa for various public hearings, ensuring that all who wanted to speak would have a say. The TRC compiled numerous documents as they listened to testimony, which was incorporated into the highly anticipated final report. This report is still publicly available, for those who want to read it, and a number of comments have also been posted.
Some people felt that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was not an effective way to deal with the events of apartheid because it focused on amnesty and reconciliation, rather than retribution for past crimes. Several known criminals received amnesty from the TRC through their testimony and many black Africans felt this was unfair. Others felt the commission was a strong model for national reconstruction because of its focus, in contrast to the Nuremberg Trials, which leaned toward punishing wrongdoers rather than uncovering the truth of what had happened.
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