About the Book
More than twenty years have passed since the first sittings of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the present moment provides a suitable occasion to look back on the achievements, and the shortcomings, of the Commission’s work. Even at the time of its existence, the TRC came under criticism from a variety of quarters: both President Mbeki and ex-President F.W. de Klerk took legal action to challenge or prevent the publication of the Commission’s report. But the Commission also fulfilled a vital and important role in the transition from apartheid to democracy, and it has become a model for other countries wishing to undertake similar journeys to deal with past atrocities and come to some kind of national resolution, reconciliation or closure.
About the Author
Mary Burton served as the president of the Black Sash from 1986 to 1990 and is the author of The Black Sash: Women for Justice and Peace (published in 2015 by Jacana Media). After the democratic elections in 1994, Burton was elected to become one of the 17 people to sit on the TRC. In 2000, she helped launch the Home for All Campaign, a campaign that encouraged white South Africans to contribute to reconciliation. She has been awarded civic, provincial and national honours, and was given an honourary degree by the University of Cape Town.
