Special Report Transcript Episode 85, Section 2, Time 01:40

Professor Giliomee could you give us an idea of the public perception of the Truth Commission process so far. // I think the best indicator we have is the most recent public opinion poll that was published about a week ago, it’s a mark data poll and it shows that at the moment only half of the South African population is prepared to endorse a statement that the Truth Commission is impartial, only 45 percent of the total population think it will bring about reconciliation and only less than 20 percent, one fifth, thinks that the people who had suffered gross human rights violations would be prepared to forgive or forget. The majority of people, this is the entire population, feel that people will become more angry and they will be more hurt by the process. So … // How strong is the racial division in this opinion poll? // Well the interesting thing is one has the impression that it’s only the Afrikaners that is very much opposed to the Truth Commission and believe it’s not impartial but if you look at it only about only 14 percent Afrikaners and only 50 percent Jews consider it impartial; but at the moment among Africans about 62 percent, two thirds, still believe it is impartial and the slight majority still believe that it will bring about reconciliation.

Notes: Max du Preez; Herman Giliomee (UCT)

References: there are no references for this transcript