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

A year to the day after the TRC published its final report, several hundred victims plan to stage a demonstration in Johannesburg to highlight, as one of their representatives put it, "the betrayal by our comrades now in the Government".

Abstracts from article:

1. In its final report, the TRC recommended that about 20 000 people classified as victims should receive R23 000 each a year for six years. The TRC made a range of other reparation suggestions, including a one-off tax to be paid by companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and symbolic measures such as the re-naming of streets and the creation of monuments. It suggested that the Government set aside R2,9-billion for this.

2. But representatives of the victims, who submitted information to the TRC in 1996 on the understanding that compensation would be paid, believe the Government has set aside a mere R300-million.

3. Mr Duma Khumalo (41), a field worker for the Khulumani survivors' support group, which is almost entirely funded by foreign donors, said: "The delay is a betrayal by our former comrades now in the Government."

4. Khumalo said that although some interim reparations had been paid - one-off amounts of about R2 000 - the signals being sent from the justice department and the TRC were of reluctance to help victims.

• Source: Full article "Apartheid victims yet to be compensated" appeared on the Independant Online iol.co.za website