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12, flow has,south Africa chosen to remember the past?
After winning the 1994 election the ANC had a huge task of building a truly non-racial and democratic South Africa without forgetting its past. Anthony Sampson author of Mandela, The Authorised Biography, stated' that Mandela believed tl'we is no evilwhbh has been sq andemned by the wodd as Apaftheid' and there- fore had to find a way to forgive the perpetrators of the system of Apartheid without forgetting this crime against humanity. The ANC's solution to 'forgiving without forgetting' was the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1 996.
51.1 Reasons for the TRC
t South Africa was a deeply divided soCiety with the majority of its people having been oppressed over a long period of time. During this period of oppression, Black,Sottth Africans vrcre killed and had their land taken : aWay from them. They were marginalised, dispossessed,,wod Ihis following is excerpt from Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the reasons for the TRC: ffi Now, let us focus on the role of the TRC in the process of nation building ffi@ With President Nelson Mandela being sworn in as the first democratically elected leader of South Africa, hg decided to find a tangible way to deal with the country's divided and oppressive past. Hence, in 1995 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up by the parliament in terrns o.f the pro- motion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act (Act 34 of 1995). ln 1994 the Minister of Justice, Dullah Omar stated the following: r'*.1s:r::::Htl:t''ititir:r 'ii1:rii-lti]i:.i':.{i-?,,;F. .S '::'iaj:'i:rj:i:ifii:}111::'r::tr4' Taken from Every Sfep o'f The Way by Monris, 2004, Town. ln terms of the Act, Archbishop Desmond > Tutu was appointed Chairperson of the TRC and Dr AIex Boraine Vice Chairperson. The Commission was to last for about two years, and was to deaf with gross human rights viola- tions that occurred between 1 March 1960 and 10 May 1994 e Desmond Tutu describes how he expected the shape that the TRC should take: A photograph of Desmond Tutu, chairman of the TRC and Alex Boraine, deputy chairman of the TRC. Taken from South Africa Since Apartheid by S Sheeh?tr, 20A2, United Kingdom. -: ffi,* -ffi t'i r forms of r'etributive justice and the Nurernherg trials in post-\{ar Gerrnany; % i,'i.2 ,,,;Various iustice: w@ " restorative justice and the TRC hearings justice in Aetributive and the Nuremberg trials post-War GermanY After the defeat of Hitler's Nazi regime in ' Germany in 1944, it was decided by the Allied Powers that those responsible for gross human rights violation against the Jews in par- ticular, must have c.riminal trials and retributive justice must be imPosed. ln this case all former Nazi soldiers and Hitler's supporters responsible for the Holocaust had retributive justice imposed on them. ' The trials of Nazi war criminals were held in , Nuremberg, Germany by the Allied Powers ' (Britain, France, Russia and the USA). lts aim was to ensure that all those that were involved in,the Holocaust were held responsible and accountable for the atrocities committ6d against the .;lews.during World War Two. lt was here that the phrase 'crimes against hurmanity'was coined. p hotograph showing leading members of the Nazi Party atthe Nuemberg Trials that were held in Germany )r the Second World War. ken from www. nuremberg-trial, justice Was'considered as a ,''ii as an approach used by the ' ._.t gesture of reconciliationi +rRc. if perpetrators of gross;$ .1' human rights violations" ir Unlike the Nuremberg Trials, and other Truth were prepared to tell th€ Commissions that were held in Chile and Argentina, truth and show rernorseii South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission for their actions. (TRC) was diffd:rent because: -'} It was based on compromise, reconciliation and restorative justice. If perpetrators who commit- ted heinous crirnes told the truth, amnesty was granted, ffiffiffi ffiw#ffi W@ + The hearings were held in Public. + The proceedings of the TRC were broadcast tive on both television and radio and it was also repsrt. ed extensivelyin most krca.l newspapers. This ensured it became part of the national consciousnesg of all South Africans. { Spe"irf {r6arings were held and role players on both sides of the conflict were invited to make sub- missions. political leaders, + Witnesses were" subpoenaed (demand to.appear before a court of law). Two key pW Botha and Mangosuthu Buthelezi refused to appear before the TRC' country was The TRC;";;;;tt;mpt to-ensure that the tnrth concerning human rights violations iri our not suppressed or forgotten The TRC ehsured that the truth concerning human rights violations were not forgotten but were which meant they were tiabre for pro"""rtio,, rhe rRC;s:'st:*[t'',ytrt<t*{3?1"",[#,lHsars on how victims were to be conpensated. Ultimately, the central aim of the South Africas TRC process was to devefop a culture of human rights in the country io thd the suffering and injus*ices of the past never occurs agAin. :The following comparative table summarisei the differencesbn how the Nuremberg Trials were undertaken ''in Germany and the TRG process that unfolded in South Africa. THE NUREMBERG TRIAL THE TRC o These triats were a forum for punishing people o The TRC wished to learn the truth about the ;; for the atrocities committed during World War ..1.:!i: . ,r![: '::1:',1 .. .., .. : l Cnce justice was sought at Nuremberg; i[ Was ',(} ''?: used as'd,means of Puni$hment' e o ' Nulemberg'lrvasi A Tribunal presided over by 3 , ,the,Allies. , ...,. :,. , . '' At Nurernberg ordinary Germans were 'In,$outh Rfrica,th6rg w?e IlO attempt to blame,'in', ,li absolved from blame and.i,Nazi leaders and any.,,leaOer.s anU ordinary people'Were fully' , -'i:: r- ai new.'naiioll;r :, ', , inVolved, in ,building : . '' , ,,,.,' perBetrator would ensure that the crime dqes . . ':'r .: ?;j. ^. t' Structure of the TRC of o The TRC had THREE committees,that were responsible for ov.erseeing its functions. These consisled the Human Rights Molations Comrnittee, an Amnbsty Committee and a Reparations and Rehabilitation Committee. Tle following is adiagrammatic representation of the functions of the'TRC. J -':ffi|i.ffiffi -Mw% : i,l. lraiiiistr**atic representation thlt outlines i1" 1r1it,"": :1ifi ]1?: The committees of the TRC So rryh at role did the follawing committees play? : :The Human Rights Violations Committee This committee investi- This is a photograph showing Gary Krus'Ser, an ANC operative, giving gated the human rights evidence at the TRC. He described how the apartheid police tortured hirn place abuses that took when he was captured in the 1980s. ii, " ,, in South'*Africa between ,. 1961 end 1994. ;,,.,,:Mem-o*erq of this commit- tee,Wgre mandated to visit' communitj,gs in order to. gatherttatements and evidence from peopie who were either survivors or victims of crimes that : ' vated,. lt was estimated .. that about 21 000 state- i; ments were cotfected and recorded. After a process of verification, nearly 2000 people were invited to,.tell their stories at the ;' t TRC hearings. These rl f. l,',, hearings took place , :i:j; r i::''' tii ; ;l'. ';'l' i.t, { 996 to 1998. Tak.gn from IVeIsa n Mandela A Force For Freedom by C I !'- '\' i - i .lL, _ New'York. i #_d ffi ,#4 Effi .r**Xffie The,Arn nesty Gom m ittee Ww This Comrnittee consisted of people with a sound legal background. Each hearing was presided over by a reputable judge. ro Both the perpetrators and victims had an opportunity tq be represented by a lawyer. Hence lawyers were allowed to test the evidence via the cross examination of witnesses. The process was rigorous and by the end of hearings only 1167 of the applicants were granted amnesty out af 7116 applicants who initially applied,. Many political parties opposed how the am.nesty committee did its work. They argued that those who ffi amnesty could not be held responsible for their actions, because they were merely carrying out orders that were given to them by a fuigrher authority, usually a politician or an army general. Hence the process was ', ftawed and unfair. The Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee Members of this committee investigated the evidence given by victims and, based on this, provided approp1- ate support ln most cases the rehabilitation of victims included finaniial support for the suffering and loss experienced. The committee flnally recommended that to restore the dignity of victims a once-off payment of R30 000 would be given to each victim. The TRC hearings So lef 's look at the nature of the TRC hearings (' The TRC conducted hearings in every province in the Republic of South Africa. lt spanned from the 22 April to 14 November 1996. It heard hundreds of terrifying stories of how political activists were killed who were either fighting for or against the apartheid regime over the decades There were a mixture of testimonies. Some were-well known st*ch as the killing of Griffiths Mxenge, Rick Turner, Ahmed Timol and Ashley Kriel. There were severd examplesof politicd activists that were maimed by agents of the apartheid regime while fightingfor freedom and democracy. The fotlowing is an example of an atrocity that was committed against a civil rights.activist Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge, which exarnines the role of the TRC. @ffiffi W@ qding,the'.murder of, ,, 1 ',.,,i COETZEE TO BE CROSS.EXAMINED ON MXENGE MURDER Lawyers for the family of slain human rigl'rts lawyer Griffiths M: Coetzee told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's amnesty committee on Tuesday he did not expect forgiveness from Mxenge's family as he cou{d only offer a pathetic sorry'for his part in the murder. His fellow amnesty applicants are{ormer askaiis - tunred Umkhonto we Sizwe guerillas - Butana Almond Nofomela and David Tshikilange. C-oetzee on Tuesday again confessed to planning Mxenge's murder after the,lawyer became a thorn in the side of the security police. Mxenge was stabbed more than 40 tines and his throat slit after being abducted by four aska- ris, including Nofomela and Tshkilange. Lawyers for the Mxenge family, who are opposing Coetzee's bid for amnesty, are expected to argue that the former police captain does not meet the ctiteria for amnesty in the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act. Once cross-examination of Coetzee has been complet- ed, Nofomela will be the next to take the stand to corroborate his former commander's versions of the events leading up to Mxenge's death. lt is not clear, however, whether Tshikilange will get a chance to testify on Wednesday. Taken from SAPA, Durban, 6 November 1996. ffi GSffi -ffi Wffi"{ffi ffi ffi Wffi.|wsy Dirk Coetzee I feel humiliation, embarrassr??ent and the hopetessness of a pathetic, 'l am sorry for what I have done.' ...What e/se can I affer them? A pathetic noth- ing,so ,n all honesty I don't exPect the Mxenge family to forgive ffie, because / don't know how I ever in my life would be able to forgive a man like Dirk Coetzee, if he'd done to me what t did to them. Taken from Truth Justice Memory, A Guide to Teaching the TRC, 2008, Cape Town. :.' Gommittee gave the following ruling regarding the Source'G: The TRC Amnesty' .- Gr.iffiths,Mxenge'. :'''', '." : TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION AMNESTY COMMITTEE We are accordingly of the view that the three applicants are ENTITLED TO AMNESTY in respect of this ofunce, that is the murder of Griffiths Mxenge on the 19th of November 1981, and it *itt accordingly not be necessary for the Trial Court to proceed with the question of sen- tence. SIGNED ON THE 4th DAY OF AUGUST 1997. Taken liom The Fourth Dimension by L Engelbrecht, 2009, Pretoria. Source D: l for his brother's death. As it is now, they are simply forcing it [the TRC] down our throats, and that is what we are objecting to. We are saying that justice must be done more, especially when we've got a government for which we've waited more than ten years to take action against criminals. Taken frcm Apartheld tn Souffr Africa by M'Roberts, 2003, Essex. ffi ffi ffi# qb" W ffi -*ffi" ffiffi ffiffi'w ffiffi ffi*ffi.w".stsw, ffi Research assignment Phila Portia Ndwandwe murder of the were made at the TRC regarding the Refer to the public confessions that higi'r profile political activists' foltowing (MK) Commander for Natal o phiL portia Ndwandwe - Umkhonto we Sizwe Operations. of South African Students Siphiwo Mtimkulu - Leader of the Congress (cosAS). (MK) and popular leader of the bhris Hani - Chief of Umkhonto we Sizwe SACP. KrishnaRabilal-umkhontowesizweoperative,murderedintheMotalaRaid, Mozambique' .Cradock ---- c^ar Mkhonto, Fort Ctrlata and sicelo The Four,Matthew Goniwe,^^-1.,^ Sparrow by the notorious security branch Mhrauliwho were ,td;il'""d ,uio"r"o poii""*rn, Gideon Nieuwoudt, in the Eastern' who appeared before the TRC' Some ln addition, the ordinafi;;;;; i'i"tims) to'know what actually happened of them wanted revenge, while otherswanted to members of their family and wanted-closure' How do You embark on this research? want to undertake your research on' ldentify the person/persons you transcripts and o fo"tf-iiUtrtf in tn" to,.* of books' DVDs' TRC . Refer to and consuit sources fr"rn"Vort other relevant documents' Make copious notes as you go along' o body and conclusion' your rough an i-ntroduction, o #;;*t;Jnsiiof written sources' Ensure that you include originalvisual and ; the fotlowing key,aspects: about or" ticusng on in . write ilio*"s or tnl political activisus that you have selected + Examine the reason/e, rorJls;osignificance freedom struggle the , !rr!-- ^!rL^ ^arirrial/a +FocusonthecircumstancesthatledtokillingoftheactivisUsoireconciliation in the killing of political activists' r Examine the role of tne rnc as an instrument .+Considerthecha{lengesfacedbytheTRCregardingthearnnestyprocess reconciliatLn (focus on successedfailures) + conclusion - what have you leaint about S.2.gThedebatesconcerningtheTRc reconciliation positive aspects.: TRc as an instrument of of reconciliation? So, fo what extent was the TRC an ins*ument to build a united south Africa from its divided past and served o The TRC prayed a significant role in healing and . nation. 21000 victims an opportunity to tell their stories years of hearings the TRC provided.nfrly years of r After three had a platfo* ioi i"*nciliation after toss of members ot tneirilrtrv. in aooition, t"riri", pr+ mourn the gr"ui ti"urn" indignation but were eventually oppressive ,r[, in *o"t cases tamiries e-xperienced "nd crimes commifted' rorg'rv*e in" plip"t'?tors foi the heinous govern' pared to to the highest levelsrels of the apartheid e to establish , of command tr,rir.J . The fRC was aule "nJn ment. r .-- !L^:- ^..,^ ^;mao anrt qtraniiies that were committed oLiberationorganisationsliketheANChadtoaccountfortheirowncrimesandatrocitiesthatwerec that ram*ies were : f';:'ru*:il:5t1""i[fl::?or the murd"':fl1{:?l.t-li:::::*"]iticar activists fgil"t to brins about a sense or south ,, t[:;ffi*l#[i:5 be' : f*n*l ,r*:. U:ffi:'ff; He also statei that Ihe truth can so that citizens negin u pro*", ot r""on"iri'tion' Africa,s past reconciliation can take ptace' True ' "orro ,"r,ii ti" basis of truth that true ot and often is, divisive. Hawever, n t" oi examples have n"rn uiuiiri at some armtost breathtaking reconc,iation is not easy, it is not cheap. we th rough the commission' recon ciliation th att have' ha ppened provisions and problems with amnesty ll.I fmnesW i perpetrators wnat were amnesty provisions for $o who I on" of the most controversial aspects of the TRC was the granting of amnesty to perpetrators $ gross human rights violations. As part of the negotiated settlement, the amnesty route was to bring about * "or*itted;il;; ove-r criminal trials. The final constitution of 1996 stated that in an attempt [ ."**iilLtion and reconstruction of south Africa 'amnesty shall be granted in respect of acts, omissions f unJon"n""s with political objectives and committed in the course of the conflicts of the past'. t il; n"ig"rl*ing'the TRC set out THREE pre-conditions that were to be met before amnesty was to be grrnted. These included: I ^r aL-:_ ^ the act tr ; Applicants were required to make a truthful and full disclosure of their actions around * of violence that was perpetrated. [ * Applicants had to prove that there was a political motive in perpetrating the crimes. $, + niiii"""tr would not be granted amnesty if they committed murder becquse of a political difference I of opinion. !s problems associated with amnestlr' $ome of the did not The issue of the granting of amnesty was controversia{. The families of many slain political activists making a readily accept tnit tne pirpetrators bf heinous crimes were simply allowed to walk free by simply for their public confession. Furthermore, rnany who had applied'for amnesty did not exprcs_s_any remorse Hani' actions, for example, Clive Derby Lewis who was responsible for the murder of SACP leader, Chris the consti- The family of Stephen Bantu Biko, slain leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, challenged tutionality of the amnesty provision in the constitutional court. ' Their chillenge was dismissed by the ConstitutionalCourt and Chief Justice Mohamed stated: between the need for The gnntingTf amnesty is a difficult, sensftive, perhaps even agonising balancing act future... justiie to v'itims of pait abuse and the need for recorrcitiation and rapid transition to a new for the heinous Apartheid chemical and biological warfare expert, Dr Wouter Basson was not prosecuted trial was lengthy, it lasted crimes he committed while w6rking for the South African Defence Force. Basson's he was found not over thirty months, and involved several investigators, costing, millions of rands. Ultimately process. guilty. This was viewed by many anti-apartheid activists as a failure of the amnesty lnoif,", problem with the amnesty process was that once an applicant was granted amnesty by the TRC, against her/him' she/hecould not be prosecuted in a criminal court and civil action e,ould also not be brought the Amnesty committee Bernard Ngoepe, a south African judge expressed his frustration while sitting with punishment that perpetra{ors of crime of the TRC. The tottowinJ is part tt wnat he said about the nature of received. and the human riglrt" of Focus on human rights of 1g80s and ignoring institutionatviotence "brsi" Apartheid [&, During the 1980s This cartoon by Zapiro focuses on PW Botha's reluctance to appeir before apartheid South Africa the TRG. was under the dictatc- rial leadership of PW Botha. l-le ensured' that state security Ww,J"Jf,;* agencies were opti- mally used to murder, torture and maim political activists. Leading apartheid agents like Gideon Nieuwoudt, Wouter Basson, Eugene De Kock and Dirk Ccetzee were %r ?'8 instructed to use /a I t' r'lr death squads to elimi- o€ ? nate freedorn fight- nr{ I rQ ers and activists. A S ? 'dirty o9 number of tricks' 6t .a it* campaigns were used to kill innocent black South Africans in the 1996, Gape Town. 1980s, some of them Taken trom Zapiro: The Madiba Years by J Shapiro, have still not been accounted for. A front page headline which appeared in the N\ail c PW Botha refused to appear before the TRC and Guardian indicating people's reluctance to go to give evidence for the human rights his gov- to the Truth Gommission. lt reads 'Hell, flo, we won't ernment committed against liberation struggle go'. activists, especially in the 1980s. Reparations ffiffiffi ln the final analysis the TRC made detailed recommendations for a reparations prograrrne including financial, symbolic and community reparations. The ANC government requested that all those who were eligibte for reparations, as outlined by formql President Thabo Mbeki, to verify their details with the justice department. The commission proposed that each victim or fa'mily shou[d receive approximately a once off payrnent of approximately R30 000,00 to about 22 AA0 apartheid victims. ffiisorrow i Some commentators felt that the amount ffiil{em*ftrsffi i proposed by government was too small for the victims and ther families. ffitffil ffiiw-'i ffiiffil ffilffil S:r$*.fWs*HM$iesfgiSr:ry Wi4 Renowned newspaper journalist Mathatha Tsedu, writing in the Sqwefan in 1998, had the following IilI about the TRC hearings. " "r, J o we'were ma)vec>d by,YUtheetetestit)sumor,sfi ny; thee1fearrs, the sobs and the wailing of suryivors and relatives who could not the memmon10ne)fles; ar,mddththercer rever' iont?s. fike =lati : 'w'cried a l,'itiletle> tootc oinin lfet tb , py, turniltn fh, Wel'eh,ssed asrs; fhthe'he nm(met?fr,l, witw,with'ith no70 tv,visi;ibl,ible'elretT,m10r,6€,i€, sp(' ipotke of the s€anndl)u, zitngtolof man bodies alongside the chops amdsd sfeSItetleal : ba,,arberbequeescon th b)Oft)annksksroft,f vt'arious rivers o{t,WTur latlem(nd.d. lamtmb 7kt Tuet rct iofc 'eg ,ys 1r ( 'ch rsfim tfl Wet of even mor(re)a'anf79,7ryrasas fhe'hetme r en W,alkedlawdWi/av scot-free afteJl SU te,rsltit on1y. The TRC played a significant role in acknowledging the pain, humiliation and suffering that people endurecj. Ultimately it served as a useful vehicle to reconcile South Africans who came from divided past. 1 .4 Responses of potitical parties and reasons for the responses to the TRC and the final report of the TRG: National Party, lnkatha Freedom Party and African National Congress. how did the fottowing parties react to the work of the TRC? iional Party Leader of the National Party, FW De Klerk stabd that the TRC was a was{eful prooess because it tried to humiliate him while sorne senior leaders within the ANC refused to apply for amresty. De Klerk also took legal action to prevent the publicatibn of information implicating him in 'third force' activi- ties between 1990 to 1994. atha Freedom Pafi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, leader of the lnkatha Freedom Party felt that TRC was too victim friendly. lt set out to humiliate and ridicule perpetrators. The IFP accused the TRC of uneven treatment and of being biased. fifrican Nationat Congress Some of the victims felt very strongly about the granting of amnesty. The following poster held by a protestor highlights this. I ANC Deputy i President, Thabo Mbeki felt that the TRC was rather even- handed. He argued that the TRC equated the human rights viola- tions comrnitted by the liberation move- ment as similar to those comrnitted by the apartheid regirne. Taken from Constitutional Righfs - Turning Points in Human Righfs by M Morris, 2009, Johannesburg. ffi# ffiffi ffiffiffi# ffitu TRC successful? ffiWm:rw v 5o fo what extent was the ffi la$ The TRC was criticised by politicians but it was also haited fior its significant contribution in healing the p41 and building a united nation. President Thabo Mbeki stated the following in a speech in 1999 regarding the TRC process 'some might argue that encauraging disclosure of the truth about gross human rights violations in exchange for amne$y ... did grave injustice to our estabtished jurisprudence... what cannot be questioned is that it brought our country and peopte the necessary stability. ln turn, this made it possible if we had had to declare a sfafe of emergency to contain the violence of those who would have resisted prosecution for the crimes they had committed in defence of the apartheid sysfern'. Although the TRC endeavoured to reconcile differences of the past and heal the nation, both De Klerk and the ANC refused to accept tota{ responsibility for the atrocities they had committed. De Klerk claimed that the TRC tried to humiliate him while sorne senior leaders within the ANC refused to apply for amnesty. Both these key role players tried to btnck the final release of the TRC's report especially those parts that portrayed them in a poor ligtht. Dr Alex Boraine, Vice Chairperson of the TRG had the following to say about the process: This how Helen Macdonald, a researcher, viewed the findings of the TRC. Antiie Krog, author of Country of My Skull, viewed the TRC as follows: The final TRC report was handed over to President Nelson Mandela in Pretoria on 29 December 1998r1!r{ag a well intended initiative, in keeping with the constitution. However, it was surrounded by several contlffiu sies and there has been debate about its ability to provide a realisable truth and reconciliation process,.'n '/'' attempt to heal the national psyche and develop a united South Africa. At least the TRC was an invaluaotv attempt at humanising the country. mffi. Desmond Tutu presents the final TRC reports to Nelson Mandela. Taken from Constitutional Rights - Turning Points in Human Rights Book I by B Nasson, 2009, Johannesburg. ffi# ffiw* Currently the TRC has been viewed as failure. The following articld from the Mail and Guardian summarise this view. This article appeared in the Mail and Guardian,16 November 2012.lt claims that many of the victims after giving and tistening to evidence at the TRC are still waiting for redress and closure. Reparations still on the back.foot ln 2013 a fund for the victims of Apartheid will have more cash than it did when it was created as it continues to accumulate interest while suffering payment paralysis - and frustration at the lack of redress for past injustice is making comeback. Reparations by numbers 120 000 Estimated number of people who could qualify for reparations R30 000 R9-billion R330 648 Reparation payments to date: once-off Total expected cost of indi- President's Fund payments to a list created in the TRC process vidual reparation payments inZAfi R2 O00lmonth for 5 years R510-million Rt.1-billion proposed payment per reciPient President's Fund payments Value of the President's in 2003 Fund in 2013 5.3 Remembering So why mustwe remember our Past? r The majority of black South Africans have experienced gross human rights violations and were severely rnar- ginalised and dispossessed by colonial and apartheid masters over the centuries. o Therefore it is important for us as nation to acknowledge and remember the past. The democratic dispensa' tion in South Africa has set 9 special days to commemorate and remember our past. This has to a large extent fostered a sense of unity and nation building, particularly for the survivors of families who may have lost political activists during the fight for liberation againstthe apartheid regime. These commemorative days proride family members witn a level of affirmation for the pain and suffering that they have experienced. On the other hand, for the perpetrators of crimes these commemorative days force them to acknowledge the past and provide them with an opportunity to reflect and also apologise for their wrong doings. o Before 1g94 the South African government chose to remembei its past by developinga number of national and provincial monuments and memorials that to a large extent only commemorated white heroes and hero- ines. These included, for example, the Voortrekker Monument. o After 1994 the democratic government began to develop many national monuments and memorials that commemorated the role of all South Africans that shaped the history of the country. For example Robben lsland became a World Heritage Site, the Samora Machel Monument at Komatipoort where the former Mozambican president's plane crashed, Freedom Park and the Thokoza Monument. 5.3.1 How has the struggte against Apartheid been remembered? (Appropriate museum or memorial, examples inctude Freedom Park at national level, Thokoza monument at local level) Freedom Park Former President Nelson Mandela stated in 1999 'the day should not be far off, when we shall have a -, peopte's shrine, a freedom park, where we shatl honour with all the dignity tney aeservli ir*L'*iiir171'!, pain so we should experience the ioy of freedom.'He was describing the Freedom Park, which i"-",Jrrl1"-|, Salvokop in Pretoria. lt is indeed a monument to democracy and includes a memorial with a list of the n'"'- ffiWffiM' ffiffi ffi ffiw fo,t"Y,I-g ,u u f,u On"*ogt' F of those killed in the Boer wars, world war l, world war ll as well as those murdered during the struggles against Apartheid. The Freedom park was opened in December 2007 by for- mer president Thabo Mbeki. He stated that 'Freedom Park rich witt. be a place of hope in which witl be embedded the history of our country and atl humanity. tt will represent both a transformed tandscape and historical memory intertwined. tt witt be a place which witt hotd our memores in incubation, allowing them to nurture a future free of bitterness, free of the hatred, free of stereotypes, free of racism, and free of destructive fury of war-' lndeed, Freedom Park is a place where all South Africans can reflect gn the past, and look to the future. The park was established on the premise of human dignity, freedom rights. It reflects the achievements of the South African nation. wally serote, head of Freedom park stated 'as a permanent south reminder for us, now and for future generations, that pasf Africans did take a step forward to put closure to the white not forgetting it'- Currenly Freedom Park includes amongst others the foliow- ing elements: -t lsivivane, which is a symbolic resting place of those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle. -+ Lesak d, d symbolic burial ground, surrounded by eleven boulders and a body of water at both entrancesforbaptismanddrinking. -t Sikhumbuto, inctudes a Wall of Names, an amphi- theatre, an eternal flame, a gallery of leaders, and a sanctuarY; .+ Tiva, a large body of water symbolising peace. Thus, Freedom Park has become a sYmbolic beacon for the future. lt endeavours to tell the story of South Africa's past through the Process of reconciliation and it elevates the issue of human rights as entrenched in South Africa's Taken from www.freedomPark.com Constitution. Mffi wl.j ffi f${* frffie#g The Thokoza Monument mffi- The Thokoza Monument was built to honour those that were killed in the bloody political conflict between Thokoza residents (ANC) and hostel-dwellers (associated with the IFP) in the township of Thokoza, outside Johannesburg during the early 1990s. lt is widely believed that the apartheid regime ignited violence on the East Rand following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. The violence was spurred on by political intolerance between IFP and ANC. Altogether about S000 ANC anO IFP rnembers were killed during the political violence. ln order to reconcile political difference and to demonstr4te a spirit of reconciliation it was decided to honour those that lost their lives in Thokoza. To do this the Thokoza Monument Foundation Council was established and Dr Margaret Mojapelo was appointed project director. joint President Thabo Mbeki and lnkatha Freedom ln i996, 20 OOO people attended a ANC-IFP rally. Both l present the event. Currently, the monument Pafi leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi were to commemorate bears i The Thokoza Monument serves a symbol of reconciliation and was built to honour the lives of those who died, j in political violence in the early 't990s. The 1980s was. characterised by Botha's policy of 'total strategy' which led the intensification of resistance by black political organisations. The behind the scenes negotiations and the disinvestment of international capital finally coerced leaders of the National Party to begin the unbanning of political leaders and parties and usher in the process of negotiations. ii The period 1990 to 1994 has been referred to by some progressive historians as the turning point in South Africa's history and was indeed the nation's final step to democracy and freedom. The realisation of South Africa's first democratic election and the installation of Nelson Mandela as our country's first black president is indeed a significant milestone. The birth of a new nation was welcomed internationally as a 'miracle'and South Africa has since become synonymously associated with the notion of 'peace, reconciliation and a shared destiny'. Archbishop Desmond Tutu aptly summed up South Africa's diversity 't stitt betieve we are the rainbow people. Why not? I think we are doing remarkably well in learning to live together...'and finally Gill Marcus noted that'a journey starts with a singte step. We're on our way to becoming a country that is united'. Taken from Red on Black by J Seidmdtr, 20A7, Johannesburg.