PRESS RELEASE
TO: All Media
ATT: News Editors, Human Rights Reporters
For immediate release
Monday, 25 October 2021
The Foundation for Human Rights expresses its full support for the protest held at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg by ‘senior’ activists from the Khulumani Support Group1 ,gathered to demand urgent government’s action with respect to the long overdue
reparations for gross human rights violations committed during the apartheid.
Khulumani Members indicate in their press statement issued on 20 October 2021:
“On 20 October, 2021, 23 years after the TRC’s final report was delivered to
Parliament, Khulumani members held demonstrations around the country.
Demonstrators formally presented a memorandum addressed to President
Ramaphosa and the Minister of Justice, at the Gauteng Premier’s office and the SAHRC
in Joburg, the Polekwane provincial DOJ offices, and Parliament in Cape Town.
Khulumani had sent the memorandum a week ago to the Presidency and the Minister
of Justice, asking that they respond to demonstrators when they arrived at Con Hill, at
3 this afternoon.
National government officials neither responded, nor did they send a representative
to receive the memorandum or meet the demonstrators at Con Hill. The group then
determined to remain there until government meets their demands.”
The protests are a response to the failure by the government of South Africa to effectively
implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with
respect to individual and collective reparations. Whereas the TRC developed a relatively good
policy on both individual and community reparations, their implementation has been far from
successful. The issues include:
The lack of the overarching policy on reparations in South Africa, which would guide
the implementation of individual and collective reparations;
• The arbitrary decision by President Thabo Mbeki to lower the amount of individual
reparations from R20,000.00 a year for a period of six years to a one-time payment of
R30, 000.00 per victim or surviving family;
• Restricting the payment of reparations to victims registered as ‘victims’ by the TRC;
• The lack of transparency and victims’ participation in developing the regulations on
community reparations and rehabilitation;
• The issues around the distribution of other reparations such as education and health
reparations;
• And lastly, the lack of clarity on the distribution of funds from the President’s Fund.
The Foundation for Human Rights in its individual capacity but also as part of the South African
Coalition for Transitional Justice (SACTJ) has been engaging with the government on the issue
of reparations for almost a decade now. There has been an apparent lack of commitment
from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to engage on the matter,
and the total failure of the government to develop a clear plan of action with respect to
reparations.
We call on the government to meet the demands of the protesters and to engage
meaningfully with civil society on the issues of reparations.
For media enquiries contact:
Lindiwe Sibiya, Media and Communication Officer, FHR at lsibiya@fhr.org.za and 082 634
7154
Foundation for Human Rights
The Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) is a grant making institution supporting civil society
organizations in South Africa and the region that implement programmes which promote and
protect human rights. The Foundation’s mission is to address the historical legacy of
apartheid, to promote and advance transformation in South Africa and to build a human
rights culture using the Constitution as a tool. Over the last two decades FHR has played a
major role in promoting the rights of victims of apartheid crimes through supporting the
recommendations of the TRC including justice and accountability for past crimes, reparations
and access to the TRC archives.
For more information about the case and proceedings contact:
• Foundation for Human Rights: Ahmed Mayet amayet@fhr.org.za or Katarzyna
Zdunczyk kzdunczyk@fhr.org.za
