Wednesday, May 27, 1998 at 22:57:36

I believe in reconciliation of all the people of our country and wish to support your cause.

Peter van Laar, Durban

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Wednesday, June 3, 1998 at 09:39:21

I wish to place on record that I am fully in favour of reconciliation. I did not actively participate in the apartheid regime, I tried in my own way to fight it, even if it was, at times a seemingly hopeless vote for the now democratic party. My father, Redmund "Teddy" Browne, fought the nationalist government in parliament and taught us, his family, to follow the "right and just" way, instead of sticking to the strictly "then" legal way of life. However, I wish to apologise to all the disadvantaged people of the apartheid regime for the fact that, in retrospect, I did not do enough. Please forgive me.

Tessa Stedman, Westville, SA

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Sunday, June 14, 1998 at 22:36:51

I am a young South African who loves my country dearly. I have the spirit of Africa pulsating through my veins and am totally committed to this country and its' future. I could never even consider living anywhere else and regard myself as a true African.

To all my fellow Black, Coloured and Asian compatriots, I wish to humbly apologise for not doing more, or being more vocal in my opposition to the evil system of apartheid.

I acknowledge my failings in this regard, and am doing my utmost within my daily activities, both business and personal, to contribute to a brighter, better future for us all.

May God help us in our endeavours to create a peaceful, unified and prosperous land.

Cecil Francis Charles Judd, Johannesburg, Gauteng, Republic of South Africa.

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Sunday, June 21, 1998 at 21:11:05

I'm sorry for not having helped.

Mika Minio-Paluello, Oxford/UK

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Monday, June 22, 1998 at 20:35:39

Ek is 'n wit, Afrikaanssprekende huisvrou wat in Noordelike Provinsie grootgeword het en my latere skoolopleiding aan een van die beste Afrikaanse skole in die land voltooi het. Ek het aan die Universiteit van Pretoria studeer en was 'n lid van die N G Kerk.

Ek het vir jare onder die waan verkeer dat ek alles wat ek kon,gedoen het om 'n rol in ons land se bevryding te speel. Van my studentedae af het ek bedenkings oor die Apartheidsbeleid gehad en in later jare het ek my kinders probeer opvoed sonder rassevooroordeel. Ek het altyd my bes gedoen om die swart mense wat in my diens was met liefde en menswaardigheid en as gelykes te behandel. In die kerk het ek ontuis gevoel en my byna heeltemal onttrek. By sosiale geleenthede het ek, binne die perke van goeie maniere, opgekom vir my standpunt. Na hulle ontban is, het ek dadelik by die ANC aangesluit. Meer as dit kon ek mos nie doen nie: my familie se gevoelens, my man se posisie, en my kinders se toekoms was in die gedrang.

Nou weet ek, met smart, dat alles wat ek sogenaamd gedoen het, nooit genoeg was nie. Ek het in my binneste geweet van die die verskriklike wandade wat deur my mense gepleeg word en wou dit nie glo nie.Onder die voorwendsel dat wet en orde noodsaaklik is, het ek immorele wette gehoorsaam.Ek wou nie my hande vuilmaak deur aan "politiek" deel te neem nie.

Ek vra vergiffenis vir my oppervlakkigheid en treur oor die geleenthede wat ek laat verbygaan het om werklik 'n verskil te maak. Ek skaam my dat ek soveel van my landgenote nooit werklik as medemense gesien het nie.

Ina Brand, Pretoria

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Tuesday, June 23, 1998 at 21:49:31

Ek vra vergifnis vir die feit dat ek die vrugte van die onderdrukkers gebruik en geniet het terwyl ek geweet het dat Godgegewe regte en voorregte op 'n sondige manier van ander mense deur 'n selfsugtige minderheid weerhou is. Ek het geweet dat die verdrukking van mense verkeerd was en was te swak en te gemaklik om 'n werklike bydra te maak in die stryd teen onderdukking. Ek vra vergifnis van die sonde wat ek gepleeg het deur niks te doen nie. Ek vra vergifnis omdat ek in my eie gemaksug nie vir my mede landsburgers geveg het nie. Ek vra krag om my te help om in woord en daad op te tree om diskriminasie te beveg sonder om terug te deins oor die implikasies wat dit vir my self sou hê. Ek vra om vergifnis aan almal wat ek verneder het, misbruik het en nie gerespekteer het nie.

Margot Luyt, Cape Town, South Africa

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Thursday, July 2, 1998 at 10:30:16

I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church whose headquarters are in Washington D.C. I allowed myself to be indoctrinated in believing that the government of the day was right in spite of its evil policies, and that it was imperative for me to pray for it and frown at anyone who was seen to be protesting or challenging those policies. I do not know that some of my fellow white Adventist were also part of the beneficiaries of those evil policies (apartheid). I apologise for not supporting the protest aimed at correcting all the evils and injustices perpertrated under the apartheid era. God bless.

Tankiso Letseli (Pastor), Elspark, Gauteng, South Africa

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Tuesday, July 7, 1998 at 13:16:50

As voormalige soldaat het ek besluit om ook nou te gaan bieg en huil, dit is mos nou mode. Terwyl so baie voormalige lede van ons ou veiligheidsmagte nou na hierdie Heksejag-Kommissie toe hardloop, wil ek ook graag verskoning vra vir my gruwelike en afskuwelike dade, wat ek tydens die insurgensie oorlog teen terroriste bewegings gepleeg het : As trotse gewese offisier in die SAW erken ek uiteindelik my en my voormalige kamerade se vreeslike skuld in die verdoemenswaardige beskerming, wat ons aan wit en swart inwoners van die ou Suid-Afrika laat toekom het teen die moorde, terreur en intimidasie van die ANC, PAC en SWAPO se gewapende bendes en gepeupel. Vergewe ons asseblief vir ons veragtelike dade van hulp en ondersteuning aan mense in nood, die lang en vermoeiende ure van wagdiens op ons grense, op paaie en by nedersettings, die uitputtende patrollies en marse in skroeiende hitte, stof en bibberende koue, die gevaarlike en kwesbare konvooidienste, die bitter gevegte teen n gewoonlik goed gewapende en slinkse vyand, en die gepaardgaande vrees en wanhoop. Ek weet ek verdien nie julle vergiffenis vir die bose opofferinge, wat ons in diens en ter verdediging van ons land en sy mense gemaak het nie, soos die beserings en wonde wat ons opgedoen het en die vriende en makkers, wat hulle lewe gegee het in landmyn-ontploffings, in hinderlae, in kontak, onder vuur en te midde van ontploffende mortier bomme.

Vanuit die diepte van my hart wil ek vir julle vertel dat ek werklikwaar nooit bedoel het om my vriende en kamerade te verloor of vermink te sien nie. Ek belowe plegtig om nooit weer enigiemand onder my bevel toe te laat om die beste jare van sy lewe op te offer onder bevel van die mees ondankbare, lafhartige, ruggraatlose en verraderlike militere hierargie en regering in die wereld nie. Dit sal my nie verbaas indien julle my aansoek om vergiffenis nie wil aanvaar nie, want dit pas nie in by julle eensydige heksejag teen Boere en Zoeloes nie. Dis mense wat, ten spyte van al hulle foute en blabse, geveg het vir die oorlewing van hulle volkere as vry en Christelike nasies te midde van n brutale terreur oorlog deur n boosaardige vyand. n Vyand wat geen reels geken het nie en selfs minder omgegee het vir begrippe soos waarheid, geregtigheid en versoening, terwyl hy ons en ons ou bedeling geterroriseer en gedestabiliseer het.

A.VILJOEN, Suid Afrika

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Thursday, July 9, 1998 at 16:11:19

I feel very strongly that the name reconciliation is a total misnomer. It would be interesting for overseas people to see the track record. Violent killers such as the ones that bombed St James Church are given amnesty as to are the mindless bombers in Pretoria and the Mgoo Bar bomber McBride who was not only free but was given a priviledged place in government. Fortunately he has finally come to meet his just desserts in Mozambique for gun-running. A number of members of the ANC government were also involved in torture against their own people in Tanzanian Torture Canps, they are now attempting to run this country. A blanket amnesty was given to 37 top echelon members of the ANC heirachy this without having to appear before the commission. It is only through much pressure that they - and I include the deputy head of government Mbeki will now have to appear and admit to their shortcomings. Is it not now time for Mandela to declare a general amnesty for ALL political prisoners and let us get on with our lives. Otherwise I firmly believe that reconciliation will not take place and in actual fact, as we are seeing now, a polarisation such as we have never seen before between white and black will ultimately lead to very serious consequences.

ann phillips, johannesburg, Rep South Africa

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Thursday, July 9, 1998 at 19:32:32

Only after leaving the employ of the TRC does one have time to reflect, not only on the time there and ones contribution albeit small, but also on the "I could and should haves" and the "I should not haves". And indeed I can list many of these since my birth and upbringing in an Afrikaner house, schooling in whites-only afrikaner institutions and all that goes with that, and for these I apologise.

Although the Archbishop and some other commissioners have this as one of the first items on their wish list for white people, I believe this can never be the end but rather a small tentative step towards a transformed SA.

May all the friends I made since the early nineties hold me to a continued contribution and commitment to a transformed SA and Africa - I know they will.

signed by a fellow African

Louis du Plooy, Pretoria / Cape town, SA

[it was worth waiting to sign this till after I left]

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