Dbq The Trc

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was an interracial group established in South Africa after the end of apartheid laws. The Apartheid laws (which were passed under the Afrikaner (Dutch) Government) promoted racial segregation and unethical (sometimes violent) treatment of the nonwhite population of South Africa. The TRC was meant to bridge the divide between races and give justice to the victims of violence from either party in the form of reparations (in most cases symbolic). It also granted amnesty to perpetrators of violent crimes for either apartheid or (occasionally) anti-apartheid violence under the condition that they could prove what they did was politically motivated, told the entire truth of their actions in front of

A Bishop in South Africa said this to illustrate this principle“The TRC went into a place like Sharpeville and had a hearing. But as we know, in a day you might be able to get through five, six, seven people at the most. And in a community like this … you’ve got hundred[s] who have been profoundly traumatized who [want their stories] told,(Document 4)” This demonstrates that many cannot even get the healing effect of testifying in front of the court ( and do not get any other benefits from it). An Article from BBC stated “ Truth and reconciliation has been hard to come by in South Africa. Only one former apartheid cabinet minister has sought amnesty for his role in the political crimes of the last white government. Every other minister has dodged the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 's (Document 5) .” This demonstrates that although the TRC’s goal was to bring about reconciliation and justice ( between races, victims, and crime perpetrators), they chose not to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions. Since the high up officials were not held accountable, it demonstrates that the white government officials still get benefits, undermining the positive effects that this could

Gertrude Monyenna is a divorced mother of two teens who was shot and is disabled afterword in an interview she stated that after her TRC hearing she only receives “... small interim payments, (Doc10)” of about “....600 dollars, [monthly] (Doc10) ”. She feels that “The perpetrators got their lawyers, got everything. They’re not struggling like us” As evident from her story, the TRC does very little more for the victims than provide symbolic reparations. This does not help them with their daily lives, in which many of them need constant care from injuries. This is such common knowledge that it is even in their comics. Document 8 is of a man sitting in a wheelchair (because of apartheid violence) and sitting across from him representing the TRC. The man is saying “.... I’ll gladly accept symbolic reparations ...When you get my creditors to send me symbolic bills (Doc8). What this gives the idea of is that many victims are suffering because the inability to pay bills and need the money however do not get it because of the TRC. As stated by Gertrude Monyenna the perpetrators of the violent crimes seem to be benefitting, as they keep their money, get off without punishment, and stay rich. Keeping the racial economic disparity in full affect. In an interview about the this topic a black student said “People who reconcile are