A historical presentation on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. Aspects such as the purpose of the commission, key roleplayers of the commision, the stregnths and weaknesses of the commission as well as debates surrounding the commission are disvussed. This presentation is suitable for all interested audiences and is specially targeted at Grade 12 History learners studying Topic 5: The coming of democracy in South Africa and coming to terms with the past.

1. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
of South Africa
Grade 12
Topi 5: The coming of democracy in South Africa and coming to terms with
the past
B Mogoera

2. This presentation will help you to:
1. Introduce you to a key role player in the commission.
2. Understand the reasons for the establishment of the TRC.
3. Understand what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was.
4. Introduce you to the concept of ‘Restorative Justice’.
5. Discuss the 3 committees of the TRC.
6. Provide a short video to deepen your understanding and appreciation of
the TRC.

3. Key role player: Archbishop
Desmond Tutu
“Until we can forgive, we remain
locked in our pain and locked out
of the possibility of experiencing
healing and freedom…”
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu was
appointed as the chairman of
the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission by Nelson
Mandela in 1995.
• He coined the term “rainbow
nation”and was passionate
about achieving healing and
reconciliation in South Africa.
• Took the role of a voice for the
voiceless.

4. Reasons for the TRC:

5. So what was the TRC?
• A court-like body set up by the post-Apartheid government in order to deal
with the atrocities of and the division caused by the Apartheid system in
South Africa .
It aimed to:
1. Investigate human rights violations that took place during Apartheid.
2. Unite the nation by revealing the truth for the victims and their families
and allowing the perpetrators to give public testimonies and ask for
forgiveness.
3. Grant amnesty to politically motivated crimes.
4. Provide victims with rehabilitation and reparations.

6. Similarly to Truth Commissions in other parts of the world such as the
1991 Rettig Report of Chile, where Human Rights Violations done by
the military between 1973 and 1990 were investigated,
the TRC was a form of Restorative Justice

7. What is restorative Justice ?
• A system of justice that repairs crime by providing an opportunity for victims and
perpetrators to communicate and identify harms , accept responsibility and promotes
reconciliation and forgiveness.
• The same system of justice used in the Juvenile justice system.
• Involves the perpetrator taking accountability for the crime and attempting to repair
the damage caused.
• During the TRC, victims had to give public testimonies of the Human Rights
violations which they had experienced.
• Perpetrators could also give testimonies of their doings and ask for forgiveness and
amnesty.

8. The 3 committees of the TRC:
The Human
Rights
Violation
Committee
The Reparation
and
Rehabilitation
Committee
The Amnesty
Committee
Investigated Human Rights Violations
that took place between 1960 and 1994
Restored the victims dignity by
formulating proposals to assist with the
rehabiliation.
Considered applications of Amnesty
Amnesty : Official pardon for people
convicted of political crimes.*
Conditions for amnesty :
1. Give full disclosure of the crime
2. Perpetrators should prove that the
crime was politically motivated

9. Strengths of the TRC:
1. Promoting reconciliation: The TRC provided a platform for victims and
perpetrators to share their experiences, fostering understanding and
empathy among different racial groups.
2. Documentation of atrocities: By recording testimonies, the TRC created
an official record of human rights abuses, ensuring that these crimes were
not forgotten or denied.
3. Victim empowerment: The commission offered reparations to victims,
providing financial assistance for medical care, education, and housing.
4. Public awareness: Through public hearings and media coverage, the
TRC raised awareness about apartheid-era injustices, challenging societal
norms and promoting dialogue on racism.

10. Weaknesses of the TRC:
1. Limited prosecutions: The TRC granted amnesty to those who
fully disclosed their crimes, allowing many perpetrators to
evade criminal prosecution.
2. Incomplete truth-telling: Some individuals refused to testify or
provided incomplete information during hearings, hindering the
commission's ability to uncover the full truth.
3. Lack of economic justice: While reparations were offered to
victims, they did not address broader economic inequalities
resulting from apartheid.
4. Emotional toll on victims: Reliving traumatic experiences
during testimonies could retraumatize victims without
sufficient psychological support.

11. Debates regarding the TRC:

12. Debates Regarding
the TRC:
The previous screenshot of a
presentation done by Khulumani
Support Group reflects the view
that the TRC did not provide
sufficient justice.
It is believed that white people,
who are said to have benefitted
from Apartheid still benefit even
20 years after the TRC
Issues stemming from Apartheid
such as poverty, inequality and
land distribution are said to be
blockages keeping South Africa
from achieving “genuine’
reconciliation.

13. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Truth+an
d+reconciliation+comision+1995&&view=detail&
mid=641CBCCE11CF9A86121D641CBCCE11CF9A8
6121D&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsear
ch%3Fq%3DTruth%2Band%2Breconciliation%2Bco
mision%2B1995%26FORM%3DHDRSC4
A short video to summarise all we have learnt :

14. References:
• Slide 4
Mathonsie, James. “Truth and Reconciliation Commission 33.” Www.slideshare.net, Oct. 2015,
www.slideshare.net/mafemani/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-33. Slide 6
Verapax. “Day2 Intro Truth Commissions World.” Www.slideshare.net, 13 Aug. 2008,
www.slideshare.net/verapax/day2-intro-truth-commissions-world?from_search=20 .
• Slide 6
Immart15. “South Africa.” Www.slideshare.net, 9 Mar. 2009, www.slideshare.net/lmmart15/south-africa-
1119969?from_search=0. Slide 7
Morupisi, Entle . “Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa.” Www.slideshare.net, 19 Mar. 2020,
www.slideshare.net/EntleMorupisi/truth-and-reconciliation-in-south-africa..
• Slide 11
Khulumani Support Group . “Opportunities for Repairing South Africa 20 Years after the TRC.”
Www.slideshare.net, 26 Nov. 2015, www.slideshare.net/KhulumaniAfrica/opportunities-for-repairing-south-
africa-20-years-after-the-trc?from_search=14.

15. Images:
• Bachu, Nivrata. “African TRC Experience: The Unfinished Compromise.” News24, 27 Sept. 2018,
www.news24.com/News24/african-trc-experience-the-unfinished-compromise-20180927. Accessed 18
Aug. 2023.
• Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla. “Why Memories of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Still Ache.”
The Conversation, 29 Nov. 2018, theconversation.com/why-memories-of-the-truth-and-reconciliation-
commission-still-ache-107721.
• Simons, Jim. “South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu Discharged from Hospital.” Three Rivers
Episcopal, 4 Aug. 2015, 3riversepiscopal.blogspot.com/2015/08/south-african-archbishop-desmond-
tutu.html. Accessed 18 Aug. 2023.