The Human Face of Justice: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Process in South Africa David Backer Department of Political Science University of Michigan

1
The Human Face of JusticeThe Truth and
Reconciliation Commission Process in South
AfricaDavid BackerDepartment of Political
ScienceUniversity of Michigan
2
Background

• Third Wave
• 60 transitions since 1974
• legacies of violence, abuses and malfeasance
• Menu of approaches to transitional justice
• prosecution
• lustration
• truth commission
• amnesty
• Truth commissions as a compromise
• practical alternative
• absence of legal accountability

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Impact of Truth Commissions

• Macro-level studies
• Huntington (1991) comparative analysis of regime
  stability
• Botha (1998) large-N analysis of political
  unrest
• Community-level studies
• Van der Merwe (1998) reconciliation in South
  Africa
• Micro-level studies
• Gibson Guows (various) general population
  survey of tolerance in South Africa
• Gap empirical research on victims responses

4
Relevant Literatures

• Trust in government
• Political participation
• Institutional legitimacy
• Legal processes
• Justice
• Democratic consolidation

5
Research Questions
Are truth commissions just in the eyes of
victims of human rights abuses? Does direct
participation in the process mitigate the sense
of injustice?
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Data Collection
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Focus Groups
Aug Sep 00
Sampling Database
Jan Oct 02
Questionnaire Design
Sep Oct 00
Questionnaire Design
Aug Nov 02
Sampling Database
Nov Dec 00
Pilot Test
Nov 02
Pilot Test
Dec 00
Survey Administration
Nov 02 Feb 03
Questionnaire Revision
Jan Mar 01
Data Entry/Cleaning
Jan Feb 03
Survey Administration
Jul 01 Feb 02
Follow-up Interviews
Mar 03
Data Entry/Cleaning
Mar Jul 02
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Survey Samples
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Total N176
Total N228
Gave statement N86
Did not give statement N90
Gave statement N80
Did not give statement N148
Testified N27
Did not testify N59
Testified N35
Did not testify N45
Testified N3
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Perceptions of Justice

• Cape Town Joburg Pooled
• Acknowledgement 2.76 3.46 3.07
• Voice 2.53 2.30 2.43
• Truth 2.19 1.41 1.84
• Accountability 3.00 1.64 2.38
• Apology 2.06 1.35 1.74
• Punishment 2.51 2.09 2.33
• Reparations 1.94 1.37 1.69
• Changes in Society 2.59 1.94 2.30
• Total Index 2.46 1.95 2.23
• (Likert scale 1min 5max)

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Perceptions of Justice

• Neither Statement Testified
• Acknowledgement 2.79 3.37 3.59
• Voice 2.07 2.81 3.09
• Truth 1.84 1.91 1.75
• Accountability 2.50 2.17 2.29
• Apology 1.72 1.87 1.65
• Punishment 2.34 2.30 2.33
• Reparations 1.77 1.60 1.50
• Changes in Society 2.24 2.27
  2.59
• Total Index 2.16 2.29 2.38
• (Likert scale 1min 5max)

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Acknowledgement
Statement
Testified
?0.21
Participant
?0.58
?0.66
Non-Participant
11
Voice
Statement
Testified
?0.28
Participant
?0.74
?0.85
Non-Participant
12
Truth
Statement
Testified
?-0.15
Participant
?0.07
?0.01
Non-Participant
13
Accountability
Statement
Testified
?0.13
Participant
?-0.34
?-0.29
Non-Participant
14
Apology
Statement
Testified
?-0.22
Participant
?0.15
?0.07
Non-Participant
15
Punishment
Statement
Testified
?0.03
Participant
?-0.04
?-0.03
Non-Participant
16
Reparation
Statement
Testified
?-0.10
Participant
?-0.17
?-0.21
Non-Participant
17
Change in Society
Statement
Testified
?0.32
Participant
?0.03
?0.16
Non-Participant
18
Total Index
Statement
Testified
?0.08
Participant
?0.13
?0.16
Non-participant
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Key Findings

• Victims perceptions of justice are consistently
  negative, with the exception of the dimension of
  acknowledgement.
• Participation has countervailing effects
  positive for acknowledgement voice, but
  negative for accountability reparation.
• Significant differences between research sites
  indicate divergent local processes.