6. The findings of the TRC

Question 1

The TRC presented its ______ report to President ______ in October _____. A final report which included outstanding ______ application decisions was presented in April _____.

Answer 1

interim
Mandela
1998. 
amnesty
2003.

Question 2

Who did the TRC say was responsible for the horrors of Apartheid?

Answer 2

In its report, the TRC concluded that the National Party government under PW Botha was responsible for torture, arson, abduction and sabotage.

Question 3

Who else was the TRC critical of? (2)

Answer 3

1. The report also criticised De Klerk for the activities of the third force ‘which had tried to disrupt negotiations,
2. The TRC was also critical of some actions of those who were fighting apartheid

Question 4

What actions were the TRC referring to when they referred to those fighting against apartheid?

Answer 4

These included the torture and executions that had taken place in ANC training camps in exile, the attacks by APLA guerrillas which had resulted in civilian casualties, and the necklace executions that supporters of the UDF had carried out in the 1980s.

Question 5

What did Mandela state when the TRC presented its report to him?

Answer 5

When the TRC formally presented its report to President Mandela in October 1998, he stated his belief that the report had laid the foundation for reconciliation.

Question 6

Which key figures disagreed with Mandela and why?

Answer 6

But other key figures disagreed: Mbeki (who had represented the ANC before the TRC) insisted that it had been wrong to judge the violence used by the liberation struggle to fight against apartheid in the same way as the violence used by police and state operatives to uphold the system.

Question 7

What did De Klerk say about the TRC?

Answer 7

De Klerk accused the TRC of seeking revenge rather than reconciliation.

Question 8

What did Buthelezi believe about the TRC?

Answer 8

Buthelezi believed it had favoured the ANC’s version of events over that of Inkatha.

Question 9

What did Tutu argue about the TRC?

Answer 9

Archbishop Tutu argued that although truth might not lead to reconciliation, there could be no genuine reconciliation unless there was truth.

Question 10

What did Tutu say about the TRC? (2)

Answer 10

He said:

1. ‘Reconciliation based on falsehood, on not facing up reality, is not true reconciliation and will not last.
2. ‘While reconciliation was difficult to achieve, certainly much had been brought to light which ensured the past could not be forgotten.

Question 11

What did the TRC set out to do?

Answer 11

The TRC did not set out to achieve reconciliation but to start the process.