Even before the TRC began its work, it was evident that many of its commissioners had links to one of the major protagonists in past conflict, the African National Congress (ANC). In the 1980s, TRC chairman Desmond Tutu was a patron of the United Democratic Front, the ANC’s internal ally. Many other commissioners had similar struggle credentials. By contrast, no commissioner with links to the other major protagonists — the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the National Party or the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) — was appointed. This skewed the composition of the TRC, casting doubt on its capacity to be evenhanded.
The TRC’s leanings became more apparent after the commission began its work. They were evident again in the granting of a collective amnesty to 37 ANC leaders, who had omitted to disclose their role in political violence. This extraordinary decision contradicted the criteria for amnesty laid down in the commission’s founding legislation and was set aside by the courts.
