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The main task of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was to seek the “truth” about apartheid abuses, which was considered as a step towards reconciliation. The option for restorative justice is reflecting the political choice of the African National Congress (ANC), outreaching its hand towards its former enemy. Despite the absence of retributive justice, the TRC established innovative means in order to deal with the victims and the perpetrators.Laetita Bucaille is an associated researcher at Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CERI) and Centre d'études d'Afrique noire (CEAN), and a member of the Institut universitaire de France (IUF). She also is a teacher at Université Bordeaux 2.