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Content
A listing of transcripts of the dialogue and narrative of this section.
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Structure
The list provides the transcript, info about the text, and links to references contained in the text.
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Special Report
Transcripts for Section 2 of Episode 87
| Time | Summary | | | 27:35 | ‘No Crocodile Tears’ // It was unthinkable for the Truth Commission to complete its task without having listened to the architect of total onslaught, former state president PW Botha. Tutu handled him with kid gloves from the beginning. | Full Transcript | | 27:58 | We’ve had a good meeting. Yes, and I’m not going to say a great deal more than that it was a meeting held in a very good atmosphere, very friendly. | Full Transcript | | 28:09 | But eventually the ‘groot krokodil’ dug in his heels. He responded to written questions put to him but refused flatly to appear before the Truth Commission, calling it ‘a circus.’ The Commission had no choice to refer the matter to the Attorney-General who charged Botha with contravening the Truth and Reconciliation Act. Botha’s first court appearance turned out to be a circus. | Full Transcript | | 28:33 | No but you [Max du Preez] are always in front to do wrong things. He’s one of the gentlemen I don’t like. | Full Transcript | | 28:44 | Botha’s trial will start on the 23th of April. | Full Transcript | | 28:49 | ‘Things Gone Horribly Wrong’ // But PW Botha was not the only difficult politician the Truth Commission had to deal with. It was clear from the beginning that the escapades of Winnie Mandela’s Football Club in Soweto in the 1980s would have to be investigated by the Truth Commission. The Truth Commission preferred an in camera hearing but a defiant Madikizela-Mandela challenged them to have the hearing in public. The two weeks of the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela hearing turned out to be the most sensational event of the Truth Commission covered by most international television networks. The evidence against her appeared devastating but her only response was to deny all charges. Finally she was more or less forced into this half apology. | Full Transcript and References | | 29:44 | If you were to say sorry, things went wrong. // I am saying it is true, things went horribly wrong. | Full Transcript | | 29:57 | The Attorney –General has now decided to investigate criminal charges against her. | Full Transcript | | 30:05 | ‘Crises’ // The first big crisis for the Truth Commission followed the second round of submissions by political parties last year. The National Party launched a court action against the Commission accusing Bishop Tutu and his deputy, Alex Boraine of being biased against them. Tutu and Boraine settled out of court, but had to undergo the unpleasant experience of apologising to the National Party. | Full Transcript | | 30:35 | All that is required really is, I mean they believed in this policy, the policy they accept brought about all this suffering, it didn’t happen haphazardly. | Full Transcript | | 30:56 | But the Truth Commission’s most serious crisis came when the Amnesty Committee inexplicably granted amnesty to 37 prominent ANC leaders. The decision was sharply criticized by opposition politicians when it became clear that contrary to legal requirements the leaders did not specify the crimes they were asking amnesty for. The Truth Commission and the National Party are now both involved in court proceedings to get the amnesty decision reversed. | Full Transcript and References |
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