Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South AfricaEver since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors? To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P. W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey. Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change. |
From inside the book
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Page iv
... Faces the Nation 318 TWENTY - ONE Beloved Country of Grief and Grace 341 Epilogue 367 Acknowledgments 387 Glossary 389 Cast of Characters 395 Index 403 Introduction When black South Africans by the millions turned out iv CONTENTS.
... Faces the Nation 318 TWENTY - ONE Beloved Country of Grief and Grace 341 Epilogue 367 Acknowledgments 387 Glossary 389 Cast of Characters 395 Index 403 Introduction When black South Africans by the millions turned out iv CONTENTS.
Page v
... turned out to vote for the first time in their lives in April 1994 , the world saw them standing pa- tiently from before dawn , in lines so long they often seemed endless . Even those who could not read , and that , arguably , was the ...
... turned out to vote for the first time in their lives in April 1994 , the world saw them standing pa- tiently from before dawn , in lines so long they often seemed endless . Even those who could not read , and that , arguably , was the ...
Page 8
... turned toward the road , but she can't see you ... Where are you ? " Silence . My parents sit humped up in the gray moonlight their faces seem carved to pieces . Sumien : " Pa , where are you ? Can you hear me ? " Anxiety in her voice ...
... turned toward the road , but she can't see you ... Where are you ? " Silence . My parents sit humped up in the gray moonlight their faces seem carved to pieces . Sumien : " Pa , where are you ? Can you hear me ? " Anxiety in her voice ...
Page 13
... turned up at the meeting with red eyes and wrinkled clothes , having worked through the night to prepare a new discussion document . All told , the committee spent 127 hours and 30 minutes on the Truth Commission Bill . Eventually the ...
... turned up at the meeting with red eyes and wrinkled clothes , having worked through the night to prepare a new discussion document . All told , the committee spent 127 hours and 30 minutes on the Truth Commission Bill . Eventually the ...
Page 18
... back to wave and I saw them standing in front of the sandstone house of my youth . And as we drove out , my father locked the gate and turned the dogs loose . CHAPTER Two : None More Parted Than Us A workshop 18 BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
... back to wave and I saw them standing in front of the sandstone house of my youth . And as we drove out , my father locked the gate and turned the dogs loose . CHAPTER Two : None More Parted Than Us A workshop 18 BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
Contents
3 | |
19 | |
37 | |
FOUR The Narrative of Betrayal Has to Be Reinvented Every Time | 67 |
FIVE The Sound of the Second Narrative | 74 |
Let Us Hear It in Another Language | 100 |
NINE The Political Page Curls over Itself | 131 |
The Lesser of Two Evils | 142 |
FIFTEEN It Gets to All of Usfrom Tutu to Mamasela | 201 |
SEVENTEEN Then Burst the Mighty Heart | 251 |
EIGHTEEN The Shepherd and the Landscape of My Bones | 259 |
NINETEEN A Tragedy of Errors | 293 |
TWENTY Mother Faces the Nation | 318 |
TWENTYONE Beloved Country of Grief and Grace | 341 |
Epilogue | 367 |
Acknowledgments | 387 |
In Transit with the Ghosts | 150 |
TWELVE The Political Tongue at Anchor | 162 |
THIRTEEN Blood Rains in Every Latitude | 175 |
FOURTEEN Letters on the Acoustics of Scars | 191 |
Cast of Characters | 395 |
Index | 403 |
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Common terms and phrases
Afrikaner Alex Boraine amnesty applications Amnesty Committee apartheid Archbishop asked Benzien blood body Boer Boraine Bram called Cape Town chairperson child commissioners crying death Dirk Coetzee door eastern Cape eyes F. W. de Klerk face feel forgiveness front guilt hand happened head heard hearing Hechter honor human rights Johannesburg journalists killed Klerk lawyer leader Lekotse live look Madikizela-Mandela Mamasela Mbeki minister morning mother murder National Party Nelson Mandela never night Nomonde P. W. Botha Parliament past perpetrators person police policemen political politicians president prison radio reconciliation remember Robben Island says Seipei shot Sibaya someone South African stand Stompie story talk tell Thabo Mbeki things told took torture Truth Commission Tutu Umkhonto we Sizwe victims Viljoen Vlakplaas voice walk wife Winnie Winnie Madikizela-Mandela words Xhosa