Special Report Transcript Episode 85, Section 2, Time 25:01

Can I go back quickly, before you go on to Professor Herman Giliomee? The point that Donald Woods has just made Professor that he says. Well, let’s look at what the Truth Commission has achieved. I want you to answer that question. What do you with your - and you have your criticism, we’ve noticed that – but what do you think they have achieved? Are there some positive things that you can say about the Truth Commission process? I would say that there’s been a reduction of the number of publicly sanctioned government lies. There’s a few lies which the government told in the past which were exposed. So, the number of publicly permissible lies has been reduced considerably. That’s a gain. At the same time one must remember that a nation, as an old Frenchman said in the 19th century, is based on great forgettings and great rememberings. We, in fact at the moment we remember what happened to Steve Biko and the terrible tragedy, but this prolonged process of two to what looks like’s extending to three or four years with weekly repetitions of atrocities and very one sided - I agree with my fellow Cape Townian here, very emphasized on Inkatha and the National Party - I can’t for the life of me see that this can bring about reconciliation.

Notes: Max du Preez; Herman Giliomee

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