khulumani: a support group. a social movement. a strong voice.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the government have agreed to establish a trust to fund the compensation process. The government had earlier rejected the proposal, arguing that there was insufficient funding to pay monetary reparations.

Abstracts from article:

1. The TRC and the government, particularly the department of justice, have been at loggerheads over the commission's recommendations that almost 20 000 victims of apartheid atrocities should be given monetary compensation. If those recommendations were accepted, costs of almost R3-billion could be incurred. However, TRC commissioner Hlengiwe Mkhize said the commission and the government had agreed, after several meetings, to form a trust that would also include the business community and civil society. Both parties agreed on symbolic reparations, which include the erection of monuments and statues.

2. Maggie Friedman, of Khulumani, a support group for apartheid victims, said it was unfortunate that victims and their organisations were not consulted on the establishment of the trust. She accused the government of failing to implement the recommendations of the commission.

3. "The TRC recommendations are quite limited compared with compensation offered to other victims, such as those of the Holocaust. We have a problem with the so-called deserving cases. Who decides on these deserving cases, and how? It was an expressed mandate of the TRC to decide on deserving cases, and the TRC has pronounced on the matter. As victims, we feel we are being victimised again. We are shocked when we see perpetrators getting amnesty but victims are made to suffer. Victims will not forget their pain," Friedman said.

• Source: Full article "Trust fund for apartheid victims" appeared on the Independant Online iol.co.za website