a) What was the TRC and what were its Aims?
- After Apartheid, there was a need to heal and get over the devastating
actions in which Apartheid inflicted. 1 March 1960 - 10 May 1994 —>
gross human rights violations in this period
- Def: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a court-like
restorative justice body assembled in South Africa after the end of
apartheid. Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human
rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences,
and some were selected for public hearings. (Wiki) → court-like
restorative justice body assembled in South Africa after the end of
apartheid to inestigate politically-motivated crimes during the Apartheid
era.
- 22000 victims made statements to the TRC
- Publicly broadcasted → TV, radio, newspapers
- Past simply could not just be forgotten, needed accountability → a
culture of accountability needed to be created, no blanket amnesty
- Therefore the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in
1995 (following the first democratic elections in 1994).
- Established by the GNU (Government of National Unity) after the
National Unity and Reconciliation Act in 1995.
- Chairman: Desmond Tutu
- Vice-chairman: Alex Boraine
- Broadly, the TRC aimed to:
➔ The TRC was an important step to grow as a united South Africa →
national reconciliation. promote reconciliation and national unity that
would hopefully aid the divisions and conflict that still pervaded.
➔ truth needed to be uncovered about the gross human violations that
took place during the time of Apartheid. Give Families the needed
closure
➔ Make everyone aware of the past
➔ Broadly, the TRC aimed to promote reconciliation and national unity that
would hopefully aid the divisions and conflict that still pervaded.
- Aims:
★ Investigate the Causes and extent of Human Rights abuses
under apartheid government between 1960 and 1994
★ recommend compensation for victims
, ★ Grant amnesty to perpetrators under certain conditions where
individuals and parties had to give a fill and public testimony to
their actions
★ Deal with the crimes of Apartheid on a principle of restorative
justice in an attempt to promote national reconciliation
- The TRC also attempted to restore the human and civil dignity of victims
and recommend measures to prevent future violations
- The TRC created an in depth report which published = 28 October 1998
b) What were the structures of the TRC and how did they
function?-Megan
Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act of 1995 aimed to:
❖ Get a full picture of the extent, causes, and nature of the
gross human rights violations committed during the dates
mentioned below
❖ Take measures to grant reparations and rehabilitate and
restore the dignity of victims
❖ Afford victims the opportunity to relate to the violations they
suffered
❖ Make recommendations to prevent commissions of human
rights violations
❖ Said purposes led to establishment of TRC and the 3
committees
TRC set up 3 committees:
- TRC was composed of seventeen commissioners: nine men and eight
women and divided into three committees. Chosen by Nelson Madela
based on people known for promoting human rights and social justice
and racially diverse and from different political backgrounds
- Committee on Human Rights Violations
→ Aimed to allow victims to testify, hear people’s stories
- Gathered testimonies on politically motivated gross human rights
abuses
- Victims and survivors testified about their experience held in front
of Truth commissioners → could have have relative with them, sat
with ‘briefers’ (gave comfort if needed) → any language they
chose = simultaneous translation (everyone could follow the
proceedings)
- After Apartheid, there was a need to heal and get over the devastating
actions in which Apartheid inflicted. 1 March 1960 - 10 May 1994 —>
gross human rights violations in this period
- Def: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a court-like
restorative justice body assembled in South Africa after the end of
apartheid. Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human
rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences,
and some were selected for public hearings. (Wiki) → court-like
restorative justice body assembled in South Africa after the end of
apartheid to inestigate politically-motivated crimes during the Apartheid
era.
- 22000 victims made statements to the TRC
- Publicly broadcasted → TV, radio, newspapers
- Past simply could not just be forgotten, needed accountability → a
culture of accountability needed to be created, no blanket amnesty
- Therefore the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in
1995 (following the first democratic elections in 1994).
- Established by the GNU (Government of National Unity) after the
National Unity and Reconciliation Act in 1995.
- Chairman: Desmond Tutu
- Vice-chairman: Alex Boraine
- Broadly, the TRC aimed to:
➔ The TRC was an important step to grow as a united South Africa →
national reconciliation. promote reconciliation and national unity that
would hopefully aid the divisions and conflict that still pervaded.
➔ truth needed to be uncovered about the gross human violations that
took place during the time of Apartheid. Give Families the needed
closure
➔ Make everyone aware of the past
➔ Broadly, the TRC aimed to promote reconciliation and national unity that
would hopefully aid the divisions and conflict that still pervaded.
- Aims:
★ Investigate the Causes and extent of Human Rights abuses
under apartheid government between 1960 and 1994
★ recommend compensation for victims
, ★ Grant amnesty to perpetrators under certain conditions where
individuals and parties had to give a fill and public testimony to
their actions
★ Deal with the crimes of Apartheid on a principle of restorative
justice in an attempt to promote national reconciliation
- The TRC also attempted to restore the human and civil dignity of victims
and recommend measures to prevent future violations
- The TRC created an in depth report which published = 28 October 1998
b) What were the structures of the TRC and how did they
function?-Megan
Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act of 1995 aimed to:
❖ Get a full picture of the extent, causes, and nature of the
gross human rights violations committed during the dates
mentioned below
❖ Take measures to grant reparations and rehabilitate and
restore the dignity of victims
❖ Afford victims the opportunity to relate to the violations they
suffered
❖ Make recommendations to prevent commissions of human
rights violations
❖ Said purposes led to establishment of TRC and the 3
committees
TRC set up 3 committees:
- TRC was composed of seventeen commissioners: nine men and eight
women and divided into three committees. Chosen by Nelson Madela
based on people known for promoting human rights and social justice
and racially diverse and from different political backgrounds
- Committee on Human Rights Violations
→ Aimed to allow victims to testify, hear people’s stories
- Gathered testimonies on politically motivated gross human rights
abuses
- Victims and survivors testified about their experience held in front
of Truth commissioners → could have have relative with them, sat
with ‘briefers’ (gave comfort if needed) → any language they
chose = simultaneous translation (everyone could follow the
proceedings)
