When the humanity of brutal perpetrators becomes the story
The media’s fixation on humanising apartheid-era perpetrators such as Eugene de Kock risks displacing the experiences of victims and survivors whose lives were forever changed by the actions of these assassins.
As media attention continues to focus on humanising apartheid-era perpetrators like Eugene de Kock, the experiences of victims and survivors who endured the brutal actions of these assassins may be overshadowed. The recent Khampepe Commission of Inquiry has reignited discussions surrounding accountability, healing, and reparation for victims of apartheid-era crimes.
While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) aimed to address these issues, journalistic reporting now risks whitewashing memory and retraumatising both direct and indirect victims of apartheid-related violations.
The Khampepe Commission, established by President Cyril Ramaphosa, investigates allegations of interference in TRC processes, including the "backdoor" amnesties granted to apartheid-era perpetrators. This renewed focus on perpetrators like Eugene de Kock, a former Vlakplaas commander responsible for enforced disappearances, assassinations, and torture, has brought these atrocities back into public view.
De Kock's unit operated across multiple countries, including Swaziland, Botswana, and Mozambique, carrying out heinous acts against anti-apartheid activists.
In her article "Apartheid’s scapegoat — the jarring paradox of mass killer Eugene de Kock," Marianne Thamm explores the complexities of forgiveness and atonement in relation to de Kock's case. While acknowledging his confession and efforts to help families recover remains, Thamm raises concerns about when media attention becomes overly focused on redeeming a perpetrator's humanity, potentially eclipsing the experiences of victims and survivors.
Thamm argues that when writing becomes preoccupied with recovering a perpetrator's humanity, the experiences of victims and survivors can be downplayed. By framing perpetrators as passive agents shaped by systems and ideologies, rather than individuals who willingly participated in violence, journalists risk flattening the documentation of these atrocities.
This shift in focus may undo the affirmation and validation that victims and survivors receive through hearings such as the TRC, particularly for those who have not yet forgave perpetrators.
To address these concerns, journalists must consider the potential consequences of humanising perpetrators on the healing processes of victims and their families. These proceedings should serve as a reminder of the profound impact on countless individuals and families who lost someone precious due to the atrocities committed during apartheid.
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