South Africans Sleep Outside Court, Demand Apartheid Reparations

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up in 1995 through the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, was tasked with identifying and verifying victims of apartheid who should receive reparations. A list of victims of gross human rights violations was drawn up in 2003, and according to the Department of Justice, 17, 416 people received a once-off payment of R30,000.

However, according to Kimberly Mutandiro of GroundUp, more than 150 people have been sleeping outside the Constitutional Court since 18 October. They are members of the Galela Campaign and the Khulumani support group, which was set up to represent over 100,000 victims of apartheid crimes and their families.

Some sustained injuries in confrontations with apartheid police and say they still have bullets in their bodies. Others lost loved ones or were chased from their homes. Some say they failed to submit claims, or that their claims were not approved. Others say their claims were approved but they have never been paid. Some who did get paid say the R30,000 was not enough.

They believe that the billion-rand Presidential Fund, established by the government for reparation payments through the TRC in 1995, is yet to be fully used. The protesters say they have had several meetings with the Department of Justice but are no closer to resolving their grievances. Department of Justice spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said it was not possible to pay additional amounts to those who had already been paid.

Dozens of people have been sleeping outside the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg demanding reparations for crimes committed against them during apartheid.

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