Thirty years after South Africa held the first hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the country is reflecting on its efforts to confront the brutal legacy of apartheid. Established in 1996, the commission was tasked with uncovering the truth behind serious human rights violations committed between March 1960 and May 1994 during the apartheid era.
Under the apartheid government led by the National Party, widespread abuses including murder, torture, and enforced disappearances were carried out. Despite this, many South Africans continued to resist oppression and fight for freedom. In 1966, the United Nations General Assembly formally declared apartheid a crime against humanity, reinforcing global condemnation of the system.
As apartheid came to an end through negotiations in the early 1990s, reconciliation was identified as essential for building a stable, non-racial democracy. This led to the formation of the TRC, chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which became a cornerstone of the country’s transition to democracy.
In Ndwedwe KwaZulu-Natal, one of the communities deeply affected by past violence, victims are revisiting their painful experiences three decades later. While the country has moved forward, memories of the atrocities remain vivid among those who lived through them.
Sihle Zikalala, Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and a native of the area, reflected on the impact of apartheid-era violence: “The scars were deep. the violence that affected our townships in Kwazulu Natal, in Gauteng and all areas came from the 1985 state of the emergency by the regime which sought to suppress the liberation struggle,” says Zikalala.
Meanwhile, president Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling the TRC’s recommendations, particularly regarding reparations. He stated: “United Nations having declared slavery, the enslavement of people was a crime against humanity and deserves and requires reparations. So to us the reparation as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission just confirms that South Africa was on point, it was correct to come up with such a recommendation.”
As part of ongoing efforts to address past injustices, the government has launched the long-awaited Truth and Reconciliation housing assistance programme in Ndwedwe, located north of Durban. The initiative is expected to benefit thousands of individuals, marking a continued step toward healing and redress for victims of apartheid-era violations.
