Reparations Part II

 Soon after South Africa transitioned into a democracy in 1994, Parliament adopted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, and as a stipulation of this act established a committee to draft a reparations plan. They issued two types of reparations: non-monetary benefits to entire communities, and monetary payments to victims of gross human rights abuses (Daly). Recipients of those monetary payments were defined as only victims of "killing, abduction, torture, and severe ill treatment, which were politically motivated and which occurred during the"mandate period"" (Daly) . This criteria excluded many people who were victims of apartheid, including any injustices occurring before South Africa's independence, and many other forms of abuse that are not included in the strict list given by the committee. In all there were 22,000 victims identified to receive reparations (Daly). This policy has been critiqued by many as unfair, and it could be argued that all black South Africans were victims that deserve fair compensation (even all South Africans regardless of race for that matter, for being subjected to life under a police state). Even the committee itself has admitted that the number of people compensated is too low, but cites budgetary and time restrictions for a lack of funds distributed. Most of the funding came from taxpayers and other government revenue, as well as foreign aid (McPherson). The TRC was popular among foreign donors, being viewed as an easy way to close the chapter of apartheid in the history of SA (McPherson). In support of this front, the United Kingdom provided diplomatic support as well as technical assistance to broadcast the trials (McPherson).

    I would argue that this settling of things feels very unjust. While the South African government did commit horrible atrocities that deserve accountability, this government would have never held power in South Africa if it weren't for the actions of the British. The UK is a wealthy, prosperous nation built on the backs of imperialist territorial possessions. The South African taxpayer should not be the the one to fund justice. It is unlikely that the UK will ever acknowledge this, in fact the only reparations they UK government has paid have been £16.5 billion in today's money to slaveowning families for their 'loss of property' (Manning). The British decedents of the recipients of those payments still profit off of this income today, meanwhile millions of South Africans still suffer from the affects of apartheid. Perhaps the most realistic source of reparations would come from the British government offering humanitarian aid to those who are water-insecure in South Africa, without taking responsibility for their position. By far the most effective form of reparations would be spatial reparations, and equitably reforming land and water rights so that people given land under apartheid policies no longer retain those profits (Forde et. al). 

Resources:

Erin Daly, Reparations in South Africa: A Cautionary Tale

Duncan McPherson, Supporting Post-Conflict Reconciliation: An Assessment of International Assistance to South Africa's Truth Commission

Sanchez Manning, https://reparationscomm.org/reparations-news/britains-colonial-shame-slave-owners-given-huge-payouts-after-abolition/

Susan Forde, Stephanie Kappler and Annika Björkdahl, Peacebuilding, Structural Violence and Spatial Reparations in Post-Colonial South Africa