Apartheid in south africa essay

The current trend of violence in post-apartheid South Africa is directly linked to the kind of violence and oppression witnessed in the era of. More so, they trigger cultural violence that now poses a threat in South Africa's fragile democracy. The successive post-apartheid governments, together with NGOs and the civil society, have initiated policies to enhance reconciliation among different races and bring justice to those who were discriminated and abused under the apartheid regime. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was a tool set up to address these grievances, violence, and racial discrimination in the post-apartheid era. The 1992 referendum was about creating a multiracial democracy to heal the wounds of oppression2. For victims who testified before TRC, the experience was transformative and brought peace to their hearts3.

However, the dilemma still remains on the tension between peace and justice. That transitional justice should bring about forgiveness with each other to the extent that you can live with the perpetrator without the torture of remembering the violence committed. The purpose of TRC was to bring into public the history of oppression and atrocities so that in the future, no one can deny them but hold the perpetrators accountable. TRC succeeded in bringing forward the role that the government played in enforcing the apartheid rule making it harder for anyone to deny the truth. People want restorative justice as compared to retributive justice. Some would like those who caused them harm, to be punished with equal measure. Peacebuilding policies and strategies as such must be tailored towards specific needs of a nation.

The process can only be effective if it is inclusive and serves national unity. Issues such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality cannot be solved only by raising awareness. The economic policy was a great tool for addressing the issue of income inequality. The idea was to increase domestic expenditure to utilize spare capacity. This would bring prosperity, economic growth, and employment. The 'Spare Capacity' approach had two variations. First, the approach was to increase government expenditure to raise the aggregate demand necessary for utilizing the spare capacity of the economy and create employment. This has made it easier for asylum seekers to seek employment, education, and healthcare as their right. Not to mention, these rights are given to them even when the asylum application process is still ongoing.

As much as there are tough talk and legislation for anti-migration, the legal system is full of loops. Thus the inability to end undocumented immigration that is the issue in contention. South Africa has today enacted stringent restrictions to discourage undocumented illegal migration into South Africa, more especially unskilled migrants. Businesses belonging even to the South Africans have been targeted in the xenophobic attacks. This raises the question of morality and political violence characteristics unique to the apartheid regime. 'Operation Fiela' and similar foreign policies failed to address the root course of violence12. For South Africa to realize the full potential of the peace building process, the country needs to address pertinent issues rooted in the experiences of the apartheid era.