Oct
25
I am a white male, and have been listening to some black people in my country talking about where we are on our journey towards racial companionship. I do not pretend to speak for them; I reflect on what I hear and the conclusions to which I am drawn. My impression is that there remains …
Dec
19
On the National Day of Reconciliation the people of Worcester joined a process of Hope and Reconciliation to remember those who died and those who were injured in the 1996 Christmas Eve Shoprite Centre bombing. They gathered not only to mourn a difficult past, but to build a hope-filled future. Recognising that this horrific event …
Sep
19
The modern economy of South Africa was founded on conquest. It was born in blood. From the moment of conquest on the same historical and economic processes that made some people rich made others poor. The exploitation and exclusion of the oppressed did not end in 1994. It continues to this day. People are still …
Sep
15
If we want justice, we need restitution. However, without equality or the victims obtaining influence, we cannot achieve restitution. In the case of immigrants who have been displaced by xenophobic violence the sad reality is that victims are often forced to forgive or forget as a prerequisite to reintegration. In their cases restitution could make …
Sep
08
It is perhaps more appropriate to start with a lament on the manner in which the poor of South Africa have been betrayed. Neither the Peace Accord of the early nineteen nineties, nor the negotiated political settlement or the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had delivered to the poor of the country. In fact, it would …
Sep
02
There are two pitfalls. To think that you can redeem yourself by paying back for damages, to think that you are able to make good what was destroyed or lost To think that God’s forgiveness which is a free gift allows you to walk off as a free man/woman without obligations leading to restitution Reconciliation, …
Sep
02
Where a wrong has been committed and relationships have broken down, there can be no healing without some restitution. This is basic to forgiveness, reconciliation and normalization of relationships. If there is to be peace and justice, restitution is a basic essential element both for the perpetrator and the victim. In South Africa so many …
Aug
29
Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s recent statement about a white wealth tax has evoked much discussion in the media. His comments were part of a speech he gave at the launching of a book entitled The Humanist Imperative in South Africa, the culmination of a two year long research project based at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced …
Aug
29
I have been invited to respond to the reaction of the majority at a conference in Gauteng, who struggled to link the idea of forgiveness with restitution. As a practical theologian, I am firstly interested in the experiences of people and therefore would like to understand the reasoning behind such a position. This reminds me …
Aug
29
The basis for our understanding of restitution arises out of both our responsibilty to God and to our neighbour. To acknowledge that all is gift from God and that “I am my brother’s keeper” is to accept responsibilty for my actions. Thus I would ask of God forgiveness for my sin where I have erred …