Speaking Out: The role of the Khulumani Victim Support Group in dealing with the past in South Africa

Source: (2000) Paper presented at Psychosocial programmes after war and dictatorship Conference, Frankfurt, Germany, 17 to 21 June 2000. www.brandonhamber.com. Downloaded 20 october 2003

Khulumani is a self-help survivor support group that was started in 1995 in South Africa. The name Khulumani means “speak out” in Zulu. The group began in anticipation of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). One of the purposes of the TRC was to offer space to survivors to tell their stories of past violations and be heard. The TRC also had the power to grant amnesty to perpetrators of political atrocities who fully disclosed all the details of actions. This so-called trade of truth for justice was supposed to help uncover all the truth about the past and give victims answers to their unresolved cases. The TRC also had to make recommendations with regard to granting reparations to those, and their families, who were found to be victims of murder, attempted murder, torture or severe ill-treatment between March 1960 and May 1995 in South Africa. (excerpt)