Special Report Transcript Episode 71, Section 4, Time 37:36

In Pretoria Justice Minister Dullah Omar says the government is committed to delivering the goods to victims. // Amnesty looks after perpetrators of those terrible crimes we are talking about and for us to make provision for amnesty without taking into account the concerns; the pain, the suffering, the hardships that victims have gone through would be completely unacceptable. So, the TRC process is very much victim orientated in that respect. And so the Human Rights Violations Committee identifies victims, so does the Amnesty Committee. But having identified victims, it is for the Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee to systematize the handling of all reparation and rehabilitation matters and make recommendations to government. It is very important because, unless we address the concerns of victims, we will not be able to heal the wounds of the past. It will continue to fester, the wounds will continue to fester and there will be no reconciliation in our country and that will make nation building much more difficult. So, addressing the concerns of victims is top priority for government. // So where is the money going to come from? How is government addressing that issue? // In the past, tax payers’ money was used to bomb other countries, neighbouring countries, to build up a very powerful army that did all kinds of dubious things, to provide for the police, to build apartheid, to make apartheid work. Billions and billions was spent which led to the kind of suffering which our people are enduring and have endured. My view is that the responsibility for ensuring that there is reparation and rehabilitation and that we do take steps to restore the dignity of victims and indeed of communities and the nation as a whole. That is a responsibility of all South Africans. And I think that all South Africans must see it as their responsibility to make a contribution towards the nation building and reconciliation process. So, the money which needs to be found to ensure that there is reasonable reparation, whatever form it takes, will have to come from the taxpayer. My hope is also however that the business community, in particular in South Africa, will also be generous and make contributions towards the President’s Fund which will be responsible for reparation.

Notes: Dullah Omar (Minister of Justice)

References: there are no references for this transcript