Facing the Truth Quotes

Quotes from Part I 

“The past has a way of returning to haunt you; It doesn’t go and lie down quietly.”

- Archbishop Desmond Tutu 

“We need to say how do we move together. And we are not going to be able to that without saying where do we come from.”  -Archbishop Desmond Tutu 

“Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” - Nelson Mandela 

“We are not seeking to humiliate them. We are not seeking to belittle them. We are not even seeking to prosecute them. we are just saying that this is a moral universe and you’ve got to take account of the fact that truth and lies and goodness and evil are things that matter, and that we’ve got to acknowledge them.“ - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

What kind of man that uses a method like this one of the wet bag to people to other human beings, repeatedly, and listening to those moans and cries and groans. And taking each of those people very near to their deaths. What kind of man are you? What kind of man is that? - Victim testifying at the TRC 

“I thought I knew the awfulness of apartheid. But you see, when is ceases to be statistics and it is a real live human being who says this that and the other happened that devastates you.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“This truth commission is about the people of this country, its not about the deal that politicians made..its not about justice. Its not even about perpetrators and victims. It is about the people of this country making peace with their past.” -Max Dupree, reporter

“We found that very very many of those who came found the telling, just the telling in a way very cathartic, a very healing healing thing. Because most of those who came are people who for most of their lives have been treated as non entities.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“I wanted the world to know what happened to us.” - Joyce Mtimkulu, mother of Sipiwo

After 15 year, its only after 15 years that I heard what happened to my son. All this time they knew he was dead and how they killed him. If it was not for the Truth commission, even today I should have not known what happened to my son. - Joyce Mtimkulu 

“You know when you look at them you really see, i don’t know, whether i can say pigs or what or what. I really don’t know. I’ve really got no words to describe those guys sitting there. But we must sit and listen to what they say.” - Joyce Mtimkulu

"MOYERS: Would you have liked it if you could take them to court and have seen them convicted by a jury and punished for what they did?

Joyce Mtimkulu: Im sure that could make things better. I would like to see them being punished.

MOYERS: Justice?

Joyce Mtimkulu: Yes.

MOYERS: An eye for an eye.

Joyce Mtimkulu: Yes.

MOYERS: A tooth for a tooth.

Joyce Mtimkulu: Yes.

“They did nothing to the government...They should come to me to ask forgiveness.”

- Joyce Mtimkulu

“We understand that talking is healing. The more you talk about your pain the more you get relieved.” - Thandi Shezi 

No, I haven't heard a word...if they do not apply for amnesty I wont know [who hurt me]. - Thandi Shezi

“This is my wish at the Truth commission. I wish to go back to collect my soul. for the real Thandi is there in the corner. for the Thandi that is moving and talking is not the real Thandi.” -  Thandi Shezi

“This was preventative. We had to eliminate them to prevent that they would come back as trained terrorists.” - Brigadier Jack Lonid

“You know what made me really angry was that they [the perpetrators] didn’t tell us the real truth... what I saw, where we have been that day, was not what they said at the hearings...They are still hiding something.” - Maria Ntuli

“Jeremiah sacrificed his life for this new South Africa.” - Maria Ntuli mother of the Neit ver Diet Ten Mother of Jeremiah

“I don’t think i have to say I’m sorry. and I’m not going to say it. I am sorry for the relatives and the victims, yes. But what I did I am not sorry about because I was doing my job and I thought it was right... I was doing my duty for the nationalist party and my country. I thought I was doing the right thing.” - Brigadier Jack Conney

“Yes we got orders from above...not every time... but we had a blanket authority to do that...and that would come from headquarters. I knew what they wanted. It was impossible to give a specific order every time we had to do a job...I knew who was the activist.” - Brigadier Jack Kroining

“They taught that in police college. there is definitely apartheid...and we must see that the blacks don’t overrun the country and take the country from us... and PW Botha stands up and says eliminate them. And now he says we didn’t understand the meaning of the word eliminate...there was only one meaning and that was killing them. there is no other meaning for the word.” - Brigadier Jack Kroining

“In dealing with the unconventional strategies with the side of the government. i want o make it clear from the outset, that within my knowledge and experience they never included the authorization of assassination, murder, torture, rape, assault or the like.” - F. W. De Klerk

“They want me to apologize. I am not ready to apologize.” - P.W. Botha.

“I stand before you today neither in shame nor in arrogance...I and may other leading figures in our party have already publicly apologized for the pain and suffering cause by former policies of the national party.” - F.W. De Klerk

“It came to me as just as shocking a revelation as anyone else.” - F. W. De Klerk

“Of course I feel betrayed...they make us as criminals and we are not. If we didn’t do what we did they wouldn't be in power for one day. We kept the nationalist party in power.” - Brigadier Jack Kroining

"I could’ve said no to any of these orders...but what would have happened to me? I would have retired a constable." - Brigadier Jack Kroining

“All human beings are moral creatures. Each human being have to say that I have to take responsibility if I am told “Go and murder” - and its not the same thing as go and fight and maybe kill in the process of fighting - but go and murder, go and be part of a hit squad... they carried out quite dastardly acts. They have to take responsibility.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“So making the truth public is a form of justice.” - Bill Moyers

“They are getting off... why couldn’t they come and give me the corpse and the remains.” - Mrs. Makope

“Virtually every victim that had come to the truth commission with a dead relative or husband or son. The first thing they said was, “We need their bones.” Whatever you do, its one thing, we want to know who killed him, but the most important thing is, can we have the bones please because we will rest once we have those bones in our hands and give it a proper burial...I think that is a very human thing...Its closing.” - Max Dupree, reporter

“There is no future without forgiveness.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“Our country has been through a long dark night of anguish, which we must now put behind us. I believe joining hands in that task is a central aim of reconciliation.”

– Nelson Mandela