Truth and Reconcilitaion Commission

This is the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation of South Africa. Compiled from the evidence of over 20,000 witnesses, the Report represents the record of 34 years under apartheid, breaking the silence that surrounded so many violations of human rights committed during those years. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established by the Promotion of National Unity Act 1995 and conducted its work over two and a half years before delivering its report to President Mandela in October 1998. Led by the Most Reverend Desmond M. Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Archbishop of Cape Town, the 16 Commissioners were drawn from all walks of South African life. The Report includes a detailed account of how the Commission did its work, including the legal challenges to its powers. It is a report that contains lessons for the international community, describing the violence and pain that is the unavoidable result of oppression and abuse, and the moral corruption of a society that turns its face away from human rights. The Report is in five volumes, each with a particular focus.The International edition includes extended tables of contents, a guide to using the report, two indices and additional maps.