The Truth And Reconciliation Commission - 1667 Words

In Country of My Skull, Antjie Krog writes pieces of prose, poetry, narrative and transcripts raw testimonies of the victims and offenders, during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings. These hearings were put in place by Nelson Mandela, which allowed witnesses, whose human rights were violated, to give statements and possibly testify before the Commission. These hearings were not only aimed at justice but the truth. The hearings allowed amnesty to those who committed the crimes as long as they could prove that they were just following orders from their superiors. Krog wrote Country of My Skull about her journalistic covering, for the SABC (public broadcasting service in South Africa), of the two years that the TRC†¦show more content†¦It was a system of segregation put in place by the National Party, which governed in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Under this system there was an extended period of gruesome violence against individuals of colored skin in So uth Africa. Black citizens began to resist this prejudice though and also used violence against the enforcers of Apartheid. Many thousands of individuals applied for the amnesty program and a couple thousand testified through the course of 2 years. â€Å"The reactions of white South Africans to the revelations of the Truth Commission can be divided into two main groups†¦ There are those who refuse point-blank to take any responsibility and are always advancing reasons why the commission should be rejected and regarded as a costly waste of money. And then there are those who feel deeply involved and moved, but also powerless to deal with the enormity of the situation† (Krog 221). A lot of Afrikaners felt a sense of guilt for the behavior they allowed to happen from their race towards another. Krog was one of these Afrikaners. Although blood was not shed on Krog’s hands directly, she took on the shame of her race. People often associate their behavior and actions fr om the groups they belong to. Race, ethnicity and political groups, is an example of this. Often times individuals feel proud to be a member of their group and it becomes an important part of how they view themselves and their identity.