In April 1994, South Africa emerged from a history of colonial oppression and decades under apartheid government rule with the democratic election of Nelson Mandela as president. From 1948 until 1994, under apartheid, the country was the site of serious violations of human rights, including structural violence.

During the transition period, the African National Congress (ANC) set up two commissions of enquiry to look into past human rights abuses committed in its training camps outside South Africa. In 1992, the Skweyiya Commission made inquiries into the abuse of prisoners at the hands of the ANC. This was followed in 1993 by the Motsuenyane Commission, which further investigated violations of human rights committed in the ANC camps in the 1970s and 1980s. (Read more about the Skweyiya and Motsuenyane Commissions.)

In 1995, the South African parliament established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate gross human rights violations committed by government forces and liberation movements between 21 March 1960 and 10 May 1994. The TRC granted conditional amnesties based on full disclosure and made recommendations for reparations. (Read more about the TRC.)

The government was slow to adopt and implement a reparations policy. In 2005, the reparations programme began formal operations through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Unit within the office of the President's Fund, a subsidiary of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. (Read more about reparations.)

The slow pace of the reparations process has led South African civil society to seek alternative forms of redress. In 2003, Khulumani Support Group filed a lawsuit in the United States on behalf of victims of apartheid and involving charges of human rights violations. The lawsuit specifically targets banks and corporations that allegedly profited from apartheid policies. (Read more about the lawsuit.)

The TRC was underpinned by a carrot-and-stick approach, which sought to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable through either its amnesty process or prosecutions. Following the conclusion of its amnesty process, the TRC recommended about 300 cases for further investigation and prosecution. In 2002, President Thabo Mbeki granted presidential pardon to prisoners who had not applied for amnesty. This was followed by a revised prosecution policy and a new pardons process beginning in 2007. In 2009, survivors and civil society organisations won a court case against the government, which was ordered to allow victim participation in the pardons process. (Read more about prosecutions and pardons.)

In April 1994, South Africa emerged from a history of colonial oppression and decades under apartheid government rule with the democratic election of Nelson Mandela as president. From 1948 until 1994, under apartheid, the country was the site of serious violations of human rights, including structural violence.

During the transition period, the African National Congress (ANC) set up two commissions of enquiry to look into past human rights abuses committed in its training camps outside South Africa. In 1992, the Skweyiya Commission made inquiries into the abuse of prisoners at the hands of the ANC. This was followed in 1993 by the Motsuenyane Commission, which further investigated violations of human rights committed in the ANC camps in the 1970s and 1980s. (Read more about the Skweyiya and Motsuenyane Commissions.)

In 1995, the South African parliament established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate gross human rights violations committed by government forces and liberation movements between 21 March 1960 and 10 May 1994. The TRC granted conditional amnesties based on full disclosure and made recommendations for reparations. (Read more about the TRC.)

The government was slow to adopt and implement a reparations policy. In 2005, the reparations programme began formal operations through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Unit within the office of the President's Fund, a subsidiary of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. (Read more about reparations.)

The slow pace of the reparations process has led South African civil society to seek alternative forms of redress. In 2003, Khulumani Support Group filed a lawsuit in the United States on behalf of victims of apartheid and involving charges of human rights violations. The lawsuit specifically targets banks and corporations that allegedly profited from apartheid policies. (Read more about the lawsuit.)

The TRC was underpinned by a carrot-and-stick approach, which sought to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable through either its amnesty process or prosecutions. Following the conclusion of its amnesty process, the TRC recommended about 300 cases for further investigation and prosecution. In 2002, President Thabo Mbeki granted presidential pardon to prisoners who had not applied for amnesty. This was followed by a revised prosecution policy and a new pardons process beginning in 2007. In 2009, survivors and civil society organisations won a court case against the government, which was ordered to allow victim participation in the pardons process. (Read more about prosecutions and pardons.)

In April 1994, South Africa emerged from a history of colonial oppression and decades under apartheid government rule with the democratic election of Nelson Mandela as president. From 1948 until 1994, under apartheid, the country was the site of serious violations of human rights, including structural violence.

During the transition period, the African National Congress (ANC) set up two commissions of enquiry to look into past human rights abuses committed in its training camps outside South Africa. In 1992, the Skweyiya Commission made inquiries into the abuse of prisoners at the hands of the ANC. This was followed in 1993 by the Motsuenyane Commission, which further investigated violations of human rights committed in the ANC camps in the 1970s and 1980s. (Read more about the Skweyiya and Motsuenyane Commissions.)

In 1995, the South African parliament established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate gross human rights violations committed by government forces and liberation movements between 21 March 1960 and 10 May 1994. The TRC granted conditional amnesties based on full disclosure and made recommendations for reparations. (Read more about the TRC.)

The government was slow to adopt and implement a reparations policy. In 2005, the reparations programme began formal operations through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Unit within the office of the President's Fund, a subsidiary of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. (Read more about reparations.)

The slow pace of the reparations process has led South African civil society to seek alternative forms of redress. In 2003, Khulumani Support Group filed a lawsuit in the United States on behalf of victims of apartheid and involving charges of human rights violations. The lawsuit specifically targets banks and corporations that allegedly profited from apartheid policies. (Read more about the lawsuit.)

The TRC was underpinned by a carrot-and-stick approach, which sought to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable through either its amnesty process or prosecutions. Following the conclusion of its amnesty process, the TRC recommended about 300 cases for further investigation and prosecution. In 2002, President Thabo Mbeki granted presidential pardon to prisoners who had not applied for amnesty. This was followed by a revised prosecution policy and a new pardons process beginning in 2007. In 2009, survivors and civil society organisations won a court case against the government, which was ordered to allow victim participation in the pardons process. (Read more about prosecutions and pardons.)

In April 1994, South Africa emerged from a history of colonial oppression and decades under apartheid government rule with the democratic election of Nelson Mandela as president. From 1948 until 1994, under apartheid, the country was the site of serious violations of human rights, including structural violence.

During the transition period, the African National Congress (ANC) set up two commissions of enquiry to look into past human rights abuses committed in its training camps outside South Africa. In 1992, the Skweyiya Commission made inquiries into the abuse of prisoners at the hands of the ANC. This was followed in 1993 by the Motsuenyane Commission, which further investigated violations of human rights committed in the ANC camps in the 1970s and 1980s. (Read more about the Skweyiya and Motsuenyane Commissions.)

In 1995, the South African parliament established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate gross human rights violations committed by government forces and liberation movements between 21 March 1960 and 10 May 1994. The TRC granted conditional amnesties based on full disclosure and made recommendations for reparations. (Read more about the TRC.)

The government was slow to adopt and implement a reparations policy. In 2005, the reparations programme began formal operations through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Unit within the office of the President's Fund, a subsidiary of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. (Read more about reparations.)

The slow pace of the reparations process has led South African civil society to seek alternative forms of redress. In 2003, Khulumani Support Group filed a lawsuit in the United States on behalf of victims of apartheid and involving charges of human rights violations. The lawsuit specifically targets banks and corporations that allegedly profited from apartheid policies. (Read more about the lawsuit.)

The TRC was underpinned by a carrot-and-stick approach, which sought to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable through either its amnesty process or prosecutions. Following the conclusion of its amnesty process, the TRC recommended about 300 cases for further investigation and prosecution. In 2002, President Thabo Mbeki granted presidential pardon to prisoners who had not applied for amnesty. This was followed by a revised prosecution policy and a new pardons process beginning in 2007. In 2009, survivors and civil society organisations won a court case against the government, which was ordered to allow victim participation in the pardons process. (Read more about prosecutions and pardons.)