Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report: Five Volumes, Basingstoke and Oxford, Macmillan, 1999

On 29 October 1998 Archbishop Desmond Tutu presented the final report of theTruth and Reconciliation Commission to President Nelson Mandela. This massivereport has now been published by Macmillan in a handsome, extensively illustratedfive-volume set. The fine quality of the production would seem appropriate to whathas been hailed as a document of lasting importance for South Africa. Indeed, it isevident that many foreign commentators see it as important not just for SouthAfrica but for the whole world. That has been reflected in the interest shown in theTRC by commentators, such as Timothy Garton Ash and Michael Ignatieff, whohave not previously written about South Africa. The report was the culmination ofnearly three years of work by the TRC. President Mandela announced the names ofthe 17 commissioners (designating Desmond Tutu as chairperson and Alex Boraineas deputy chairperson) in November 1995. It began to function in December thatyear, while the first public hearings were held on 15 April 1996. However, while thereport has been the most significant product of the TRC's endeavours, it is not theend of its work. In particular, the Committee on Amnesty will continue to functionuntil it has reached decisions on all the outstanding applications for amnestyreceived by the deadline of 30 September 1997. When it has completed this task afurther volume of the final report will be published.