South Africa's Truth & Reconciliation Commission Presents Its Report

On this day in 1998, South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, presented its report to President Nelson Mandela.

The TRC was set up in terms of the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, No. 34 of 1995, and was based in Cape Town.

The hearings started in 1996. The mandate of the commission was to bear witness to, record, and in some cases grant amnesty to the perpetrators of crimes relating to human rights violations, as well as offering reparation and rehabilitation to the victims.

A register of reconciliation was also established so that ordinary South Africans who wished to express regret for past failures could also express their remorse.

The Commission found more than 19,050 people had been victims of gross human rights violations. An additional 2,975 victims were identified through the applications for amnesty. In reporting these numbers, the Commission voiced its regret that there was very little overlap of victims between those seeking restitution and those seeking amnesty.

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST ON THIS DAY

1665: Battle of Mbwila [Ambuila] - Portuguese defeat forces of the Kingdom of Kongo and decapitate King Antonio I of Kongo / Nvita a Nkanga.
1859: Spain declares war on Morocco.
1888: Lord Salisbury grants Cecil Rhodes charter for British South Africa Company.
1889: Queen Victoria grants Cecil Rhodes rights to Zambezia.
1954: Colonel Nasser disbands Muslim Brotherhood.
1956: International zone of Tangier returns to Morocco.
1964: The United Republic of Tanganyika & Zanzibar renamed The United Republic of Tanzania.
1990: 30 die in a (5.7) earthquake in Algeria.

Thanks for this.