Abstract
The author begins by providing a conceptual framework for indigenous people generally and then focuses on indigenous people in South Africa. Mr. Carver then discusses the culture and customs of the Xhosa, one of the main ethnic groups from the Republic of South Africa. He then discusses the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up in South Africa after the fall of the apartheid regime, which was meant to rebuild a society divided by racial and ethnic lines. The author explains how the Xhosa concept of "ubuntu" – encompassing African concepts of justice, harmony and reconciliation — became a core concept adapted by the TRC to support non-retributive justice. The author also discusses the criticisms related to the TRC, and concludes that the TRC could be used as a model for resolution of conflicts in other parts of Africa.
Recommended Citation
Carver, Douglas H.M.. "The XHOSA and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: African Ways." Tribal Law Journal 8, 1 (2008). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/tlj/vol8/iss1/4