9. Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report (1998)
Presentation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. Photo credit: Tengri News
In an effort to reconcile the country and come to terms with past atrocities, the newly installed government of South Africa formed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) headed by Reverend Desmond Tutu to look in to past transgressions and come up with a way forward.
The commission began its formal hearings on April 15, 1996, and went around the country listening to victims and the accused. It was a court-like body where anyone who felt they had been wronged could present their case. On October 29, 1998, the commission handed its final report to the then-President Nelson Mandela. The report made several recommendations, among them the reparation and rehabilitation of victims.
Although great achievements have been made with regard to bringing people together and ensuring there is equity in the enjoyment of basic freedoms in South Africa, the country still struggles with racism and other forms of exploitation, leaving many South Africans feeling marginalized.
