Regulations published today in the Government Gazette will reportedly pave the way for the disbursement of the R30 000 final reparation to those eligible and who were declared victims by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

This initiates the last stage of disbursing final reparation, in accordance with Parliament's adoption of government's recommendations on the TRC report, which were presented to Parliament by President Thabo Mbeki on April 15, 2003.

The regulations stipulate whom the reparation grant will be paid to in various circumstances.

In cases where the identified victim is not alive, the grant will be paid to a person to whom urgent interim reparation was paid, and if both the identified victim and the person to whom the urgent interim reparation was paid are not alive, then the grant will be paid to the spouse of the identified victim or shared equally among spouses, if there is more than one spouse.

In cases where the identified victim is not survived by a spouse, the grant will be paid equally to the following persons in the following order of preference: - the identified victims' children;
- the parents;
and - other blood relations of the victim who are related to the victim nearest in degree.

If the victim is not survived by any person stated above, then the reparation grant will remain in the fund.

The payment process will start today and extend over a period of about two months as details are processed.

The payment is a part of a broader national process and government urges all South Africans to contribute to lasting reconciliation by engaging in a conversation on how to take forward the TRC process and, more broadly, nation-building.

Goevrnment hopes that what comes out of the TRC process should move us all to work for more efficient, people-centred government; faster economic growth; wider access to social services; a safer and more secure country; and a humane and just world order.