The Truth Commission was in a sense the complete opposite of amnesia. We need the truth not amnesia. At the same time, there has been a collective process of remembering by the nation of all wrongdoing that has been done to people. The Truth Commission's principal objective is to give the most complete picture of the gross violations of human rights in South Africa. 1994 was a time of the transfer of political, not economic power.
Big business remains largely in white hands.
But as a part of negotiations, agreements were made to guarantee the jobs of civil servants. The new government inherited the old civil service, the old police and army. And while it has been in the process of integration, the power structures remain largely in the hands of old regime. I think every sector of South African society has a role to play in the process of transformation. Again, the existence of the Truth Commission challenges every sector of society to examine very carefully what role it did play in the past.