A Human Being Died That Night: A South African Woman Confronts the Legacy of Apartheid
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.29 (584 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0618446591 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-09-25 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela skillfully weaves information about the horrors of the Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela skillfully weaves information about the horrors of the Apartheid's fight against equality for the black community and a impelling argument to choose reconciliation rather than revenge.. We really didn't know I was born at the same time as the author, however as a middle class White, English speaking citizen who was politically aware and supported and worked for the official opposition - the Progressive Party and then the Democratic Party, I was completely in the dark as to the full horror of what the government was perpetrating in the name of all the Whites. This book is so interesting and so full of wisdom. It tries to make some sense of the times we lived through and the beliefs which led some people to such evil. A very good read, but remember, there were some of us who did not support Aparthe. Michael D. Moon said Contemplating Forgiveness. I read this book shortly after returning from a year in South Africa, when the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings were just waning. I originally bought it because of the timeliness of my visit. But I was also beginning the process of divorce. This book is a fascinating insight into the mind of a ruthless, apartheid murderer, but most important to me, the book has an underlying theme of the concept of forgiveness. We all have been taught that forgiving is the right thing to do, but is it? The author lets the reader decide. Terrific book!
Ultimately, as she allows us to witness de Kock's extraordinary awakening of conscience, she illuminates the ways in which the encounter compelled her to redefine the value of remorse and the limits of forgiveness.. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, a psychologist who grew up in a black South African township, reflects on her interviews with Eugene de Kock, the commanding officer of state-sanctioned death squads under apartheid. Gobodo-Madikizela met with de Kock in Pretoria's maximum-security prison, where he is serving a 212-year sentence for crimes against humanity. A Human Being Died That Night recounts an extraordinary dialogue. In profoundly arresting scenes, Gobodo-Madikizela conveys her struggle with contradictory internal impulses to hold him accountable and to forgive
PUMLA GOBODO-MADIKIZELA served on the Human Rights Violations Committee of South Africa's great national experiment in healing, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She lectures internationally on issues of reconciliation.
"A startlingly personal accountwritten with clarity, energy, and enormous empathy."