Negotiating transition: The limits of the South African model for the rest of Africa.

Source: (2009) Seminar Report. Johannesburg: The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.

The seminar, ‘Negotiating Transition: The Limits of the South African Model for the Rest of Africa,’ explored the
impact that the South African model has had in other contexts, as well as the effect that compromised political deals
such as GNUs have on the possibility for effective justice post-conflict.
Some of the questions posed included: Have these ‘peacemaking tools’ simply become tools for impunity? Have they
shifted the peace and justice debate by lessening the likelihood of prosecutions and accountability, or hampering
political will and conditions for real redress in return for a promise of short-term gains? Are they the only realistic
options available to ensure an end to violence in internal conflicts?
The seminar examined the options available for political actors and transitional justice practitioners to widen the
scope and timing of their engagement, by assessing the possibility for justice and impunity concerns to be addressed
during the formulation of political settlements. (excerpt)