Twenty Years Since Democracy in South Africa: Reconsidering the contributions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Abstract

The twenty-year anniversary of the establishment of democratic governance in South Africa presents a fitting time to reflect upon the work of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). This article focusses on the TRC as a key institution in the transition from apartheid to democracy, and commences by outlining the context and remit of the TRC and considering some of its more recent critiques. I conclude that many of these perspectives present an unfair judgement of the Commission based on either a misreading or misunderstanding of its mandate, and to a certain extent, a disregard for the contextual constraints within which it operated. Whilst acknowledging its limitations, I a..