Apartheid+Crimes+Forgiven?



=Apartheid: History and the road to healing.= =Can Apartheid Crimes be Forgiven?=

The pages of history tell us that discrimination has existed as long as civilizations have recorded history. The powerful have often taken advantage of the powerless. Slavery, Torture, False Imprisonment, Genocide and Discrimination are part of daily life in many parts of the world. Societies have evolved and these practices have become unacceptable. Governmental and non-governmental agencies strive to enforce human rights policies to allow people to live with dignity, equality and justice. Racism, sexism, caste systems and methods of prejudice inflict harm on the citizens of even the most modern and well developed societies. One need only look at the current events within Amnesty International or the Human Rights watch to be informed on some of these modern day problems. This paper will look at the former Apartheid system in South Africa which existed from 1948 to 1994. The specific aspects examined will be those of racism and the use of torture. “Apartheid (meaning separatism in Afrikaans cognate to English apart and -hood) was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 (Apartheid)”. Apartheid didn’t happen all at once. It was through centuries of struggle that the powerful ruling class put forth a system of self empowerment that was designed to give control and prosperity to the ruling class of white citizens. South Africa was first inhabited by hunter gatherers known as the San people and the Khoikhoi hunter-herders. In the 1460’s, Portuguese navigators sailed around South Africa in search of a trade route to India. Along the way they procured slaves for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. When the Dutch settled in South Africa in the mid-1600, they quickly realized the importance of establishing a community that would serve as a refreshment station to provide goods and services to passing ships. While establishing the colony the early Dutch settlers began trading with the indigenous Khoikhoi and created a mandate that protected the Khoikhoi from being enslaved. Field labor was needed in numbers beyond what the settler’s could provide. The Dutch began importing slaves from West Africa, India and China. The Dutch began growing and expanding their numbers and as the need for more land increased they began increasing the size of the settlement. Thus begins centuries of conflict between the indigenous Khoikhoi and the settlers. 1713 is the first in a series of small pox outbreaks that decimates the indigenous population. In 1795 the British take control of the Cape just as the world wide power of the Dutch begins to decline. The Dutch settlers (known as the Transvaal Boers or Boer Trekkers) and the British remained at odds over the colony for the next hundred years. The remaining Boer settlers continued to push north past the British settlement s in the south. They began confiscating tribal land along the way, stealing livestock and enslaving those they captured. In 1834 the British parliament officially emancipated slaves. The emancipation went into effect in the British ruled territories soon after the emancipation order. In 1838 the Boer Trekkers who lived in the area of Natal and what is know as Trekvaar seceded from British rule to create the Voortrekker Republic of Natalia. The Voortrekkers, living on land seized from chiefdoms institute a constitutional framework that ensures White superiority over Blacks with a Master servant social order. In 1843 British forces annex the seceded Republic of Natalia. Then in 1851 the British government signed an agreement with the Boer Trekkers so that they would rule themselves. Finally, in 1854 the Voortrekkers negotiated another deal allowing them to form another republic, “The Orange Free State”. Boer slave ownership was outlawed as a condition of the acceptance of the Boer’s independent republic. Still ignoring the mandated abolition of slave ownership, the Boer’s frequently raided African homesteads and captured children and youth as slaves.

After the Anglo/Boer conflicts in the years 1880-1881 and 1889-1902 had ended, a united white controlled South Africa began to develop a more modern form of Government. In 1913 a land act divided the land between white people and black people. The land act zoned areas for Blacks at a total of 13 % of the land while they make up 80% of the population. The land act also prohibited blacks from owning land outside of the reserves (7%) of the land. White women were allowed to vote in 1930 and this dropped black voting down to less than 2%. On May 28th 1948, the Nationalist Party came into power under Dr. D.F. Malan and institutionalized Apartheid. On December 6th 1950 the United Nations General Assembly declares Apartheid a racist policy. Just a few months later, Dr. Malan announces the “Separate Representation of Voters Bill” and removes coloureds from the common voters roll in the cape. In 1954, bus boycotts occurred to stop the implementation of segregation aboard public busses. 1954 “Native Resettlement Act” is passed which allows the government to move blacks out of certain areas in Soweto. In 1960, 60,000 black and coloured people are forcibly moved from Johannesburg. December 2 1968. The General Assembly requested all States and organizations "to suspend cultural, educational, sporting and other exchanges with the racist regime and with organizations or institutions in South Africa which practice apartheid. On December 16, 1974, “The General Assembly, in resolution 3324 E (XXIX) recommended that "the South African regime should be totally excluded from participation in all international organizations and conferences under the auspices of the United Nations so long as it continues to practice apartheid and fails to abide by United Nations resolutions concerning Namibia and Southern Rhodesia (anc.org)".

Finally in the 1980’s the economic system in South Africa was crumbling. The effects of international sanctions and civil unrest had taken their toll on the Apartheid government. Unemployment levels had become intolerable for black males and the shrinking white minority knew that change needed to occur. F.W. de Klerk ran on a platform of compromise between the majority and the minority. He was elected in 1989 and released Nelson Mandela from prison. The first multiracial elections were held in 1994 and Nelson Mandela from the ANC was elected formally ending Apartheid. The Apartheid government used racial segregation policies to separate the races and used all forms of oppression to stop the black majority from gaining power. All types of uprisings were banned as were demonstrations. Those who were suspected of plotting to overthrow the government were subjected to widespread forms of torture. In the final days of Apartheid the government negotiated a deal that would offer amnesty to those who had committed crimes in exchange for full disclosure of atrocities that had been committed. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed and they accepted applications for amnesty. “The commission's purpose, according to an explanatory memorandum that accompanied the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act of 1995, has been "to bring about unity and reconciliation ... based on the principle that reconciliation depends on forgiveness and that forgiveness can only take place if gross violations of human rights are fully disclosed." In total 22,000 victims reports of Human Rights abuses were taken and the commission reviewed 7,000 applications for amnesty. One of the more famous former Apartheid “Henchman” was Jeffrey Benzien. Mr. Benzien was famous because he was not important. Benzien was just an average citizen who went to work torturing victims and then returned home to his middle class neighborhood. While at home Mr. Benzien never spoke to his family about the torturous acts he’d committed during while at work. Mr. Benzien admitted that he tortured victims to extract information related to their political activities. “Mr. Benzien was particularly adept at the use of the "wet bag," in which a cloth placed over victims' heads took them to the brink of asphyxiation, over and over again. Few withstood more than half an hour (Daley1997)”. The use of electrodes on the nose, genitals, and rectal probes were other methods used by Mr. Benzien. Mr. Benzien began by investigating individuals who were thought to be involved with anti-governmental activities. He would arrest his suspects and use torture to extract information about the locations of weapons caches. Benzien admits that through his torture “we made a big difference combating terror”. The history of racism and torture has been part of South Africa for as long as history has been written. The fact that steps aimed at forgiving murderers in an effort to move forward is astounding. The ability to forgive senseless brutality, cruelty and segregation is truly remarkable. Many of the victims have demanded some type of restitution but they are also able to some see that no form of retribution will be able to correct injustice from the past. A lot of credit must be issued to strong and forward thinking victims of Apartheid. There hearts may never heal but they seem willing to try and move on and treat those that mistreated them with more respect than they may deserve.




 * References**:

Apartheid. www.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 03/24/07.

Daley, Suzanne. Apartheid Torturer Testifies, As Evil Shows Its Banal Face. The New York Times November 9, 1997, Sunday, Late Edition – Final Section 1; Page 1; Column 3; Foreign Desk

Daley, Suzanne. Panel to Investigate Atrocities of the Apartheid Era. The New York Times. August 27, 1995. Sunday, Late Edition – Final Section 1; Page 3; Column 1; Foreign Desk

Goodman, David. Why killers should go free: Lessons from South Africa. Washington Quarterly; Spring99, Vol. 22 Issue 2, p169, 13p

Reddy, E.S. United Nations and Apartheid – A Chronology. Retrieved 3/24/07. http://www.anc.org.za/un/un-chron.html.

Swarns, Rachel. Looking for Hope in an Apartheid Monster's Eyes. The New York Times May 10, 2003 Saturday. Late Edition – Final Section A; Column 2; The Arts/Cultural Desk; Pg. 1.

South African History Online. Retrieved 3/22/07. [|http://www.sahistory.org.za/.]

=Campaign Strategy: Learning from the past to make a better future.=

History is useful to study because it helps us understand and prepare for the future. The History of Apartheid in South Africa will not be forgotten. From bad things come good. Problems still exist in South Africa even though Aparthied is over. Modern day Apartheid is happening in countries like Israel, India and flat out genocide is occuring in Darfur. The United Nations continues to be minimally effective in stopping human rights violations across the globe. The time for strength and unity amongst member nations is now. Human Rights violations cannot be accepted and the members must be willing to work together to protect the powerless. The time is now for pressure to be placed on countries like Isreal, India and the Darfur region of the Sudan. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has been working diligently facilitating peace negotiations with Israelis and the Palestinians however I believe more action needs to be taken. Nobel Peace prize winner Desmond Tutu has written several articles regarding "Apartheid in Israel". I cannot think of anyone more familiar with hostel race situations than Mr. Tutu. Who better to give advice to Israel on how to avoid an "Apartheid Error" of hostile segregated occupation of the West Bank. The world should use the experts in South Africa who effectively dismantled and rebuilt one of the most racist and atrocious governments in modern history. There are several lessons that can be learned from the end of the Apartheid regime and the road to recovery. It is one thing to get a nation to move beyond genocide, segregation and discrimination. It is another to forgive one another and live in harmony. We ought to use what was learned in South Africa and apply our knowledge around the world. One example would be to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions which were developed and designed to investigate past apartheid atrocities in South Africa. A similar commitee could be used in other parts of the world to negotiate peace. The willingness to offer amnestry in exchange for a full disclosure of crimes committed during Apartheid didn't sit well with everyone yet the people of South Africa did forgive and move forward. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission heard over 7,000 requests for Amnesty and took over 20,000 reports from people who had been victims of atrocities committed during Apartheid. The findings were chilling yet uplifting. The truth brought tears of despair and anger and also a sense of closure to those who finally understood what had happened to some of their friends and family members who had "disappeared". Hopefully all of us will be involved internationally to minimize the extent of Human Rights abuses. Staying informed politically and supporting the U.N. and non-government organizations like Amnesty International can change the world. Please visit the links below and become involved.


 * Links to get involved**:

[|United Nations: Secretary General Home Page]. This page is useful for tracking the current activities of the Secretary General and for finding out about current events within the United Nations.(IM)

[|Amnesty International] Great resource for finding out about Human Rights abuse world wide. The worlds number one non-governmental organization for fighting human rights violations.(IM)

[|Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation] "Incorporated in 1999 to nurture sustainable peace around all four corners of the globe". Father Tutu's organization provides consultation and grant money to promote peace.(IM)


 * Individual Resource File**:

[|BBC Worldwide] International news source. This article covers the History of South Africa leading up to Apartheid. The news found on the BBC can be useful when doing quick searches on most any topic.(IM)

[|MSNBC/NewsWeek] Jimmy Carter is interviewed regarding his book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid". President Carter answers tough criticisms about his view of the conditions in Israel.(IM)

[|U.N. Human Rights Webpage] Find out current information about activities in the United Nations regarding current human rights violations. This page is good for researching Human Rights policies, looking up the "Declaration of Human Rights" or link directly to the "High Comissioner of Human Rights" homepage.(IM)

[|Institute for Security Studies: Africa] This organization is very in depth and monitors many different issues facing modern day Africa. Comprehensive statistics regarding crime rates, health, human rights, and security to name a few.(IM)

[|U.S. Department of State] Great current information regarding census reports, health, economy, political climate and history. One of the fastest and most compreshensive snapshots of South Africa available.(IM)


 * Group Resource File**:

[|International Affairs: "Apartheid Checks and Balances]" This timely article was written in 1967 and it examines the problems Africa was facing with decolonization and an ever changing international community. The unjust aparthied policies are examined and the author predicts that the system will not survive for long. (IM)

[|Africa and the Western World: "The consequences of Apartheid"]This article examins the political and economic impact of the Apartheid system. The impact is show to move across English descendants, Dutch and the Native population. (IM)

[|Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East: "Truth Commissions, Human Rights Trials, and the Politics of Memory"]Comparing East Timor, Cambodia, Rowanda and South Africa. It compares the attrocities and racist policies that have happened in these different parts of the world. (IM)

[|African Affairs: "The Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Business and Aparthied: A Critical Evaluation"] The truth and reconciliation commission investigates past business practices during aparthied to determine injustices and human rights violations. Amnesty is offered to some businesses but it depends on the type of violation which was committed. (IM)

[|International Journal of Educational Development: "Coming to terms with the question of legacy in South African Education"]This article explains some of the obstacles in place that are preventing the educational system from moving forward "Post-Apartheid". The author believes that educational reform will continue to be on of South Africa's biggest challenges. (IM)

[|A Journal of Opinion: "Apartheid and the International Community"]The author discusses the failure of the U.N. and the international community in pressuring South Africa to reject it's Apartheid poloicy. The U.N. is criticized for being ineffective and also discusses the increasing influence of non-governmental Human Rights organizations.(IM)

[|Transition: "Apartheid: Opium of the Afrikaner"]A critical examination of the Apartheid system from an economic point of view. The author believes that the collision of 'social segregation and economic integration' are on a collision course which can only lead to failure. (IM)

A statement from Nelson Mandela 1964 preceeding his trial. Mandela goes through the history of his involvement with the [|ANC] and the road towards rebellion. Mandela explains the tough decision to encorporate violence into the rebellion. He appeals to the court to justify "targetted" attacks against unoccupied government buildings. The history of white supremacy, and the unfair "Apartheid Policies" are criticized in this appeal for his defense. The ANC site has current and hisoric information available. (IM)
 * [|"ANC Official Website" "A statement from Nelson Mandela"]

Isreal's policies towards the West Bank and Palestinian's are hauntingly familiar to South Africa's former Apartheid System. Britian's academic leaders have organized protests to call for sanctions against Israel for violating international law and universal human rights. Useful up to date breaking news stories from all over the world. (IM)
 * News Max: [|"The New Apartheid" British University's call for sanctions against Isreal]

Ahmed Kathrada was a friend of Nelson Mandela. He discusses his new book which details his involvement with the ANC. He speaks of time spent in jail with the company of the likes of Nelson Mandela. Many useful audio recordings and interviews available. (IM)
 * NPR: [|"Ahmed Kathrada" Formerly Jailed Political Prisoner]

Resource File