The South African Truth Commission

by Shea, Dorothy C.

• ISBN13: 9781929223091
• ISBN10: 1929223099
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: United States Inst of Peace Pr

Summary

in the latter half of the 1990s, South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) offered the country the chance to build a better Future by Facing up to its past. Amid saturation media coverage, victims of human rights abuses told their harrowing stories and perpetrators confessed to horrendous acts. Meanwhile, the commissioners grappled with decisions that would not only apportion responsibility and grant or deny amnesty but also have a profound political and social impact.To this highly charged, controversial subject, Dorothy Shea brings a rare combination of objectivity, thoroughness, and a firm grasp of both the principles and the political interests at stake.She begins by investigating the origins of the TRC in South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy, and she examines the extent to which it learned From the experiences of earlier, Latin American commissions. Then she focuses on how the politics of the TRC were played out in issues such as amnesty, reparations,and prosecutions. Her report on the TRC offers a generally positive assessment and explains not only how South Africa measured up but also why. Finally, Shea draws lessons from the TRC experience that may help to inform future efforts to shape and establish truth commissions in other transitional societies.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Preface	xi
Introduction	3	(6)
The Benefits of Learnig from Other's Mistakes	9	(14)
Problems with Blanket Amnesty	12	(4)
The Need for Robust Investigatory Powers	16	(3)
The Benefits of a Contextual Approach	19	(4)
The Politics of the TRC	23	(22)
The Selection of a Commissioners	24	(2)
The Politics of the Amnesty Process	26	(7)
The Politics of Reparations (or Not)	33	(4)
The Politics of the Endgame	37	(3)
The Politics of Prosecutions (or Not)	40	(5)
Report Card	45	(24)
Conceptual Benchmarks	46	(17)
Public Ownership	46	(4)
The Mandate	50	(2)
Impartiality and Independence	52	(3)
Deliverables	55	(8)
Logistical Benchmarks	63	(6)
Administration	63	(4)
Safeguards	67	(2)
Extrapolating from the TRC	69	(8)
Conductive Environment	69	(4)
Translating Concepts into Practice	73	(4)
Conclusion	77	(4)
Notes	81