Directorate: Curriculum FET
SUBJECT and GRADE HISTORY GRADE 12
TERM 2 Week 6
TOPIC 5 The coming of democracy in South Africa and coming to terms with the
past (TRC)
AIMS OF LESSON Section 1: Reasons for the TRC
Section 2: Various forms of justice: retributive justice and restorative justice
Section 3: Debates concerning the TRC
Section 4: Responses of political parties and reasons for the responses:
The ANC; National Party; Inkatha Freedom Party
RESOURCES Paper based resources Digital resources
Resources Refer to the relevant digital resources :
Learners must consult the core https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l
content; and their textbook WtYZn6wLUc
(Term 2 – Topic 5 (How has South
Africa chosen to remember the https://www.choices.edu/video/what-
past-TRC?) was-the-truth-and-reconciliation-
Engage with slides (1-3) in the commission-trc/
PPT
INTRODUCTION After the first democratic elections in South Afrika in 1994, there were still
many unanswered questions.
People wanted to know what happened during this time of violence.
Many people had simply ‘disappeared’, while others were murdered by
unknown persons. It was believed that South Africa should deal with the
past in order to move forward as a nation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established.
CONCEPTS AND Human rights violation: The abuse of SKILLS
SKILLS the rights and freedoms to which all • Practice various skills that
humans are entitled. are useful in Historical
Ubuntu: A spirit of kindness and studies.
compassion towards other people. • Selection of information.
Reconciliation: A process during • Listing information in a
which opposing groups talk to each logical order.
other again after an argument and • Working within the context
settle their differences. of the period.
INFORMAL SOURCE-BASED ACTIVITY 1: Complete the following exercise in your
ASSESSMENT workbook
(You know by now that the source-based question is usually concluded
with a paragraph which is based on the key question.
This section does not have a key question as it addressed various aspects
covered in the TRC as follows: Reasons for the formation of the TRC)
, Read the source SOURCE 1
with understanding. The extract below focuses on the reasons for the formation of the Truth
Read the and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
caption/contextuali The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed in
zation of the source,
1995 to investigate human rights violations since 1960 and to
it explains what the
grant amnesty to those perpetrators who made full disclosure.
source is about.
Highlight concepts / The commission also had to foster reconciliation and unity
terms among South Africans. In exchange for full confessions of
politically motivated crimes, the TRC promised amnesty for those
who came forward. In 1997 the five former security officers who
interrogated Steven Biko on 6 September 1967 applied for
amnesty from the TRC. The TRC's mandate was to be even-
handed, but its composition was hardly balanced. The
chairman, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, was a patron of the United
Democratic Front, the ANC's internal front since the early 1980s
…
At the time, the TRC was the first restorative justice process of its
kind to conduct public hearings and provide space for survivors
to tell their stories in their own words. These hearings served as an
important symbolic function in a country where the system of
governance had been premised (founded) on the denial and
silencing of, in particular, black voices.
Altogether the commission received some 21 300 statements
from victims and recorded some 38 000 gross violations of human
rights. More than one thousand perpetrators received amnesty
after full disclosure. Instead of concentrating on the context of a
deed, the commission focused on the perpetrator or victim, with
the result that the context was in most cases only scantily (poorly)
sketched (addressed). Cross examination of victims was not
allowed in the victim hearings, but hearsay evidence was.
HINTS [From Race and Reconciliation by D Herwitz
Any concept that
you will be asked to
define must be
done so within the
context of the topic 1.1 Refer to Source 1.
you are focusing on.
1.1.1 Quote TWO reasons from the source for the formation of the TRC
Comment: your in 1995. (2 x 1) (2)
opinion and answer 1.1.2 Define the concept reconciliation in the context of the TRC
should be based hearings. (1X2) (2)
be on facts and 1.1.3 Comment on Herwitz's claim that the composition of the TRC was
evidence hardly balanced. (2 x 2) (4)
SUBJECT and GRADE HISTORY GRADE 12
TERM 2 Week 6
TOPIC 5 The coming of democracy in South Africa and coming to terms with the
past (TRC)
AIMS OF LESSON Section 1: Reasons for the TRC
Section 2: Various forms of justice: retributive justice and restorative justice
Section 3: Debates concerning the TRC
Section 4: Responses of political parties and reasons for the responses:
The ANC; National Party; Inkatha Freedom Party
RESOURCES Paper based resources Digital resources
Resources Refer to the relevant digital resources :
Learners must consult the core https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l
content; and their textbook WtYZn6wLUc
(Term 2 – Topic 5 (How has South
Africa chosen to remember the https://www.choices.edu/video/what-
past-TRC?) was-the-truth-and-reconciliation-
Engage with slides (1-3) in the commission-trc/
PPT
INTRODUCTION After the first democratic elections in South Afrika in 1994, there were still
many unanswered questions.
People wanted to know what happened during this time of violence.
Many people had simply ‘disappeared’, while others were murdered by
unknown persons. It was believed that South Africa should deal with the
past in order to move forward as a nation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established.
CONCEPTS AND Human rights violation: The abuse of SKILLS
SKILLS the rights and freedoms to which all • Practice various skills that
humans are entitled. are useful in Historical
Ubuntu: A spirit of kindness and studies.
compassion towards other people. • Selection of information.
Reconciliation: A process during • Listing information in a
which opposing groups talk to each logical order.
other again after an argument and • Working within the context
settle their differences. of the period.
INFORMAL SOURCE-BASED ACTIVITY 1: Complete the following exercise in your
ASSESSMENT workbook
(You know by now that the source-based question is usually concluded
with a paragraph which is based on the key question.
This section does not have a key question as it addressed various aspects
covered in the TRC as follows: Reasons for the formation of the TRC)
, Read the source SOURCE 1
with understanding. The extract below focuses on the reasons for the formation of the Truth
Read the and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
caption/contextuali The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed in
zation of the source,
1995 to investigate human rights violations since 1960 and to
it explains what the
grant amnesty to those perpetrators who made full disclosure.
source is about.
Highlight concepts / The commission also had to foster reconciliation and unity
terms among South Africans. In exchange for full confessions of
politically motivated crimes, the TRC promised amnesty for those
who came forward. In 1997 the five former security officers who
interrogated Steven Biko on 6 September 1967 applied for
amnesty from the TRC. The TRC's mandate was to be even-
handed, but its composition was hardly balanced. The
chairman, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, was a patron of the United
Democratic Front, the ANC's internal front since the early 1980s
…
At the time, the TRC was the first restorative justice process of its
kind to conduct public hearings and provide space for survivors
to tell their stories in their own words. These hearings served as an
important symbolic function in a country where the system of
governance had been premised (founded) on the denial and
silencing of, in particular, black voices.
Altogether the commission received some 21 300 statements
from victims and recorded some 38 000 gross violations of human
rights. More than one thousand perpetrators received amnesty
after full disclosure. Instead of concentrating on the context of a
deed, the commission focused on the perpetrator or victim, with
the result that the context was in most cases only scantily (poorly)
sketched (addressed). Cross examination of victims was not
allowed in the victim hearings, but hearsay evidence was.
HINTS [From Race and Reconciliation by D Herwitz
Any concept that
you will be asked to
define must be
done so within the
context of the topic 1.1 Refer to Source 1.
you are focusing on.
1.1.1 Quote TWO reasons from the source for the formation of the TRC
Comment: your in 1995. (2 x 1) (2)
opinion and answer 1.1.2 Define the concept reconciliation in the context of the TRC
should be based hearings. (1X2) (2)
be on facts and 1.1.3 Comment on Herwitz's claim that the composition of the TRC was
evidence hardly balanced. (2 x 2) (4)
