Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
A delegation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, met the Attorney-General of the Transvaal, Dr Jan D'Oliveira, and members of his staff today.
The following statement was issued by the Commission's chairperson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
"The purpose of today's meeting was to discuss the relationship between the Attorney-General's office and the Commission, given that there is an inherent conflict of interest between certain of an Attorney-General's duties and aspects of the Commission's work. On the one hand, an Attorney-General's duty is to ensure that justice is done by bringing to trial persons against whom there is evidence of a criminal offence. On the other, the mandate of the Commission's Committee on Amnesty is to grant amnesty in respect of offences which are associated with a political objective.
"After preliminary discussion on these issues, the meeting resolved that further attention needed to be given to defining the working relationship between Attorneys-General and the Commission, and the Commission has already taken the initiative in asking for a meeting all the country's Attorneys-General."
Inquiries: John Allen, media liaison, TRC, 082- 452-7859