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“Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hide”: Problems of violence prevention and reconciliation in South Africa’s transition to democracy

Hamber, Brandon
June 4, 2015

Source: (1997) In Bornman, E., van Eeden, R., & Wentzel, M. (eds), Violence in South Africa: A variety of perspectives, pp. 349-369, Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council. Centre for Study of Violence and Reconciliation. Downloaded 11 November 2003.

The greatest potential deception intrinsic to the South African miracle may reside in the contested notion of reconciliation. “The ideology of reconciliation” may be a mask or political substitute for failure – or lack of political will – fundamentally to redress the structural factors that underpin violence and social conflict in South Africa. If such a failure indeed existed, reconciliation would promote new forms of social conflict – and possibly even increase the levels of violence. Such reconciliation would therefore flatter only to deceive – a Dr Jekyll covering for an ominous Mr Hyde. (excerpt)

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