Publication

This paper explores different understandings of the nature of truth, by examining the tensions between the views of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and those of a range of community stakeholders in the Duduza township near Johannesburg. It shows that one of the central goals of the TRC was to 'uncover the truth' about South Africa's human rights abuses and to develop and promote a common understanding of the history of the apartheid conflict. The author demonstrates that by collecting individual stories and convening a hearing on human rights violations in Duduza, the TRC reflected certain images and narratives of its community's history.