Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)

E64994

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) was a post-apartheid restorative justice body established in the mid-1990s to investigate human rights abuses, promote national healing, and facilitate amnesty in exchange for full disclosure of politically motivated crimes.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf public inquiry
restorative justice body
truth and reconciliation commission
alsoKnownAs TRC
appointedBy Nelson Mandela
approach conditional amnesty in exchange for full disclosure
restorative justice
chairperson Desmond Tutu
commissionedBy Government of National Unity (South Africa)
conditionForAmnesty full disclosure of relevant facts
political motivation of the act
proportionality of the act to the political objective
country South Africa
criticisms amnesty perceived as impunity by some victims
insufficient material reparations for victims
endDate 2002
establishedInPeriod post-apartheid era
finalReportPublicationDate 2003
finalReportSubmittedTo President of South Africa
Thabo Mbeki
focus accountability for abuses by both state and liberation movements
gross human rights violations including killings, abductions, torture, and severe ill-treatment
hasSubBody Amnesty Committee
Human Rights Violations Committee
Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee
influenced later truth commissions worldwide
inspiredBy Latin American truth commissions
languageOfProceedings multiple official languages of South Africa
legacy contributed to public record of apartheid-era abuses
model for transitional justice mechanisms
legalBasis Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, No. 34 of 1995
locationOfMainOffices Cape Town
mediaCoverage extensive national and international coverage
methodology perpetrator testimony
public hearings
victim testimony
oversawProcess victim reparations recommendations
oversightBody Commissioners appointed by President of South Africa
purpose consider applications for amnesty for politically motivated crimes
investigate gross human rights violations committed during apartheid
promote national unity and reconciliation
provide a platform for victims to share their experiences
relatedConcept restorative justice in post-conflict societies
transitional justice
reportedNumberOfPublicHearings hundreds
reportedNumberOfVictimStatements over 21,000
startDate 1996
timePeriodInvestigatedEnd 1994
timePeriodInvestigatedStart 1960
viceChairperson Alex Boraine

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports author Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa
Desmond Tutu chairpersonOf Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
No Future Without Forgiveness describes Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: public hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Government of National Unity (South Africa) keyEventDuringTerm Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
No Future Without Forgiveness mainSubject Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
The Rainbow People of God mainSubject Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Red Dust narrativeLocation Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings
Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports partOf Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa
Red Dust portraysInstitution Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports publisher Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
this entity surface form: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa