Non‐governmental organisations and the truth and reconciliation commission: An impact assessment

Politikon

Volumn 26, Issue 1, 1999, Pages 55-79

  Van Der Merwe, Hugo ^a   Dewhirst, Polly ^a   Hamber, Brandon ^a  

^a Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation South Africa   (South Africa)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 36348998181     PISSN: 02589346     EISSN: 14701014     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/02589349908705070     Document Type: Article

References (35)

1. This article was initially prepared for the International Study of Peace Organisations—South Africa, funded through the Aspen Institute.
2. Justice in Transition was an NGO set up with the express purpose of facilitating the establishment of the TRC.
3. A lack of suitable expertise within the Department of Justice may also have been a consideration.
4. Interview with Medard Rwelamira (Department of Justice), 25–2–1998.
5. The Community Peace Foundation (based at the University of the Western Cape) was similarly involved as a conduit for funds and expertise in the legislative development process.
6. Names of individuals mentioned by interviewees included Alex Boraine, C.A. Norgaard (European Commission on Human Rights), Andrd du Toit (UCT Politics Dept.), Arthur Chaskalson and Albie Sachs (Constitutional Court), John Dugard (Wits Law Faculty), Lourens du Plessis (University of Stellenbosch Law Faculty), George Bizos and Mohamed Nasvat (Legal Resources Centre).
7. For example, Justice in Transition and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). The latter had dedicated staff focusing on TRC‐related issues as early as August 1994.
8. Levin, L., Dewhirst, P., and Hamber, B., ‘The Use of EVSYS for Preparing a Human Rights Database for Presentation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa’. paper presented at the HURIDOCS Conference. November11–13, Mexico City. The NGO Coalition on the TRC was really comprised of two parts. First, the wider coalition of 30–40 NGOs who endorsed press statements and attended conferences. Second, the NGO Working Group, which was a much smaller group of representatives from 5–10 Gauteng human rights NGOs who met on a weekly basis. It is also important to note that this group was initially organised not as a lobbying group, but as a group to manage the Human Rights Documentation Project, a national database project funded by Justice in Transition. For more information on the project see
9. CSVR also arranged for victims of human rights abuses to speak in person against the provision for in‐camera hearings. The initial roots of the Khulumani Victim Support Group, the largest network of victim support organisations in the country, were laid at this time. Staff from the CSVR and the initial victims who presented to parliament on the proposed secret hearing process founded the group on returning from Cape Town after making their submissions.
10. Interview with Bea Roberts and Gareth Newham (Idasa), 21–1–98.
11. Interview with Louis du Plooy (TRC), 1–12–97.
12. The Khulumani or Speak‐Out Support Group is largely a Gauteng based group. They have offered survivors and families of victims some support, albeit limited due to resource problems. This structure—and there are examples of smaller groups elsewhere in the country—in some cases introduced the TRC to the victims, found indigenous ways to reconcile with the past and lobbied the TRC concerning the rights and concerns of survivors and families of victims. For more information on the group see http://www.wits.ac.za/csvr.
13. Interview with Andrew Shackleton (Quaker Peace Centre), 4–12–97.
14. Interview with Athol Jennings (Vuleka Trust), 16–1–98.
15. Interview with Alex Boraine (Deputy Chair of the TRC), 25–5–98.
16. This process of co‐ordinating all the human rights abuse databases held by human rights organisations in South Africa and abroad was implemented by the NGO Coalition on the TRC (and funded by Justice in Transition) before the TRC was established. It was done in anticipation of the TRC's role in investigating and compiling a national database. See Levin et al. (1997) op. cit.
17. Only about 10–15 per cent of victims who made statements to the TRC were given the chance to tell their stories at a human rights violation hearing.
18. See, for example, CSVR's assessment of the Wits University Faculty of Health Sciences Internal Reconciliation Commission (forthcoming).
19. Hamber, B., Mofokeng, T., and Simpson, G., Evaluating the Role and Function of Civil Society in a Changing South Africa: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a Case Study. paper presented at ‘The Role of Southern Civil Organisations in the Promotion of Peace’ DHR Seminar, hosted by the Catholic Institute for International Relations. November10, London. See
20. Hamber et al. (1997) op. cit.
21. In what appears an uncharacteristic stance for the sector, the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) had internal discussions on whether to engage with the TRC process, feeling that they should do it properly or not at all. The decision was not to engage.
22. Interview with Bea Roberts and Gareth Newham (Idasa), 21–1–98.
23. Interview with Athol Jennings (Vuleka Trust), 16–1–98.
24. Interview with Andrew Shackleton (Quaker Peace Centre), 4–12–97.
25. See, for example, the submission of a collection of NGOs: Submission to the TRC Concerning the Relevance of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights to the Commission's Mandate, 18 March 1997. It was submitted by among others the Legal Resources Centre, Black Sash and the NGO National Coalition.
26. Hamber, Brandon. 1998. ‘The burdens of truth: an evaluation of the Psychological Support Services of the SA TRC. American Imago, 55(1): 9–28.
27. Ridder, Trudy de. 1997. ‘The Trauma of Testifying: Deponents’ Difficult Healing Process’. Track Two, 6(3/4): 30–3.
28. Interview with Craig Arendse (Centre for Conflict Resolution), 2–12–97.
29. Interview with Joy Watson (Institute for Multi‐Party Democracy), 1–12–97.
30. Interview with Trudy de Ridder (Trauma Centre for Victims of Torture), 4–12–97.
31. Interview with Craig Arendse (Centre for Conflict Resolution), 2–12–97. A laager is a circular formation of wagons for purposes of defence.
32. Interview with Andrew Shackleton (Quaker Peace Centre), 4–12–97.
33. Interview with Barney Beck (World Conference on Religion and Peace), 21–1–98.
34. Interview with Laurie Nathan (Centre for Conflict Resolution), 18–12–97.
35. It is unclear how many of these deaths were due to unlawful actions by the police.