The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, also known as the TRC, was formed to help the nation deal with the horrific events that occurred under apartheid. It served many purposes including: to allow individuals to find out the truth of crimes committed during the time period, grant amnesty from the government for individuals who confessed the whole truth, and to allow the country as a whole to reconcile and forgive all who contributed to apartheid. These TRC trials were aired nationwide on television. It created a safe ground for citizens to voice the accounts of violence unleashed on them by the government and an opportunity for perpetrators to come forward. The reconciliation of South Africa was achieved by the formalized process of the TRC, with the goal of restoration. The Gugulethu trial is a prime example of how forgiveness among individuals may be possible. As seen in the courtroom screening scene of the hysterical mothers of the victims, these trials could be very emotional for the families of the victims. Seven young men accused of being hostile â€Å"terrorists† were gunned down by police officers. The explanation for the orders for shooting the young men were because they appeared as threats to police as they attempted to arrest the men. When Mbelo confronts the families, the mother’s of the seven men initially reject his apology. However by the end of the confrontation, one of the victim’s son tells Mbelo that he forgives him. Christopher Mxinwa’sShow MoreRelatedSouth African Truth and Reconciliation Commission4157 Words   |  17 PagesThe South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission highly distinguished, controversial and also the most innovative mechanisms used by a state deprecative to provide a form of reverence for past perpetrators of human rights abuse.* This article will provide an extensive outlook on the perspective of victims of repression, this document will analyse and article all the advantages it will critically analyse all the advantages and disadvantages in relation to the TRCs main primary process: theRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa s Apartheid System Became A National Memory1706 Words   |  7 Pagesforward and confess. Through the process of truth finding the true nature of South Africa’s apartheid system became a national memory. As a result, it was no longer possible for anyone in South Africa to pretend that the abuses perpetrated under apartheid did not happen. In almost all of the studies on truth commissions, the importance of hearing the truth is described as critical to the country’s ability to move forward. It is noted that reconciliation is impossible if a society wants to remain ignorantRead MoreThe Truth And Reconciliation Commission1667 Words   |  7 Pagespieces of prose, poetry, narrative and transcripts raw testimonies of the victims and offenders, during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings. These hearings were put in place by Nelson Mandela, which allowed witnesses, whose human rights were violated, to give statements and possibly testify before the Commission. These hearings were not only aimed at justice but the truth. 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The main aim of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission were the hearings, which acted as an indication to democracy and transition. In her poem, â€Å"For all voices, for all victims,† Antjie Krog, made use of this poem as a response the occurrences of the apartheid eraRead MoreThe Truth And Reconciliation Commission From South Africa1358 Words   |  6 PagesThe degree of success achieved by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa is a topic of great debate. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, the TRC came into operation in South Africa on the 19th of July 1995 (Stanley 2001). After an era o f repression and human rights abuses there was a significant need for a form of transitional justice that not only addressed the torment endured by much of the population but also ensured that the structural inequalities of the past wereRead MoreFor All Voices, for All Victims† by Antjie Krog1519 Words   |  7 PagesIn 1996, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) started holding public hearings on the gross human rights violations that occurred during the apartheid era. Both victims and perpetrators shared stories at the TRC about violence, suffering, oppression and torture. Antjie Krog bore witness to these narratives as one of the journalists that reported on the TRC hearings. In her literary work Krog expresses her conflicted feelings towards the past in general and the hearings of the TRC in particular