31, August 2026

The forms and dynamics of political violence in apartheid-era South Africa: Findings and testimonies from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

VOLUME-10; ISSUE-8; AUG-2026

Author(s): Karolina Baraniak

Authors Affiliations:

Independent Researcher, Poland

DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202608011     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202608011


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This article analyzes the experiences of victims of political violence in South Africa during the apartheid era, with a particular focus on the period between 1960 and 1994. The study is grounded in the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The analysis encompasses enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, severe ill-treatment, forced displacements, and systemic repression targeting women, children, youth, and religious communities. Additionally, it addresses violence committed by liberation movements and political factions opposing the state apparatus. Particular emphasis is placed on the blurring of boundaries between victims and perpetrators, as well as the justification of violence through the paradigm of a "state of war." The conclusions indicate that the legacy of apartheid extends beyond the memory of direct victims to include unresolved issues regarding exhumations, the prosecution of perpetrators, and reparations.

South Africa, apartheid, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, political violence, victims, human rights

Karolina Baraniak (2026); The forms and dynamics of political violence in apartheid-era South Africa: Findings and testimonies from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, International Journal of Research Culture Society,    ISSN(O): 2456-6683,  Volume – 10,   Issue –  8,  Available on – https://ijrcs.org/

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