The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development had to date made one-off payments amounting to R53 million to the victims of apartheid crime.
This emerged when the department and the National Prosecuting Authority briefed the justice and constitutional development portfolio committee on Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) matters, including payments to victims of apartheid crime.
The department has a dedicated unit dealing with implementation of the TRC recommendations and its work is regulated to promote national unity and reconciliation.
The TRC unit also works on the development of legislation, in particular reparations approved by Parliament. Some were at the finalisation stage for medical benefits and other forms of reparation.
Addressing the committee, deputy director-general Shireen Said told MPs that since the publication of the regulations, the TRC had identified 21 676 victims.
“Of the 21 000, 17 428 who applied for the once-off grant were paid the initial R30 000 once-off payment. The total amount so far R53m has been paid,” Said stated.
She also said a total of 248 victims had chosen not to accept the one-off grants.
Said also stated that the NPA’s Missing Persons Task Team had conducted investigations into 477 persons who disappeared through political circumstances from 1960 until 1994.
She added that the ministry had allowed the exhumation project in March 2016 of 83 political activists who were judicially executed.
“To date, a total of 180 exhumations were handed over and reburied. For 11 deceased victims whose remains could not be found, they had symbolic reburial following cleansing and spiritual repatriation. Payments with exhumations and reburial are in the region of R5m,” she said.
Educational assistance reparation was available to TRC identified victims, relatives and dependants.
The number of students funded through the basic education reparations was 10 914 with payment of R180m. The higher education reparation benefited 1 896 students and R129m had been paid to date.
Said told the MPs it had taken a long time for a variety of reasons for regulation to be put in place for housing, community rehabilitation and health services.
Head of the NPA’s Missing Persons Task Team, Madeleine Fullard, said they had recovered 180 remains inside South Africa. Fullard said there was a second large-scale exile repatriation project to be launched.
“Thousands were driven out of the country and several hundreds never returned home.”
She said many families had reported to the TRC their loved ones and community reparation was recommended.
September 27 will see the arrival of the remains of 50 exiled deceased who had been exhumed either in Zambia or currently in Zimbabwe.
“A homecoming ceremony will be hosted for the families by President Cyril Ramaphosa at Waterkloof Air Force Base and Freedom Park.”
Cape Times