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This article uses Critical Discourse Analysis as a methodological framework for considering the ways in which Die Kerkbode mediated the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) from 1995 to 2001. It reflects on the reasonable expectations one could have of a publication of the nature of Die Kerkbode, the official publication of the Dutch Reformed Church, with its very specific readership. It also reflects on how such expectations were met. The analysis indicates how an early position of doubt in the integrity of the TRC process gradually developed into one that responded sensitively to the volume of testimonies to human rights abuses of the years of struggle. However, it also indicates a primary interest in the image of the DRC and its own participation (or not) in the TRC processes. There is no coverage of particular narratives of the special event hearings, the Human Righrts Violations hearings or the Amnesty hearings. No reference is made to real events which were topicalised during the TRC hearings themselves. Eventually, in 2001 there appears to be a return to a position that questions the value of the TRC and is concerned more with amnesty for all than with restitution for those who suffered. This calls for further reflection on why the DRC could at the time not respond with more empathy and a more considered notion of reconciliation.

This paper considers a number of salient, characterising features of the verbal mediation process that took place in the TRC hearings on gross human rights violations. This is done with reference to the methodology developed in Discourse Sociolinguistics. It considers how various participants represent a particular event, each taking the perspective from which they experienced it. It notes the differences in verbal choice, and in textual and information structure of (i.a.) a journalist who witnessed this particular instance of public police excess, of a woman involved because her home was at the scene of the confrontation between police and youngsters, of one of the commanding police officers who had been subpoenaed and thus was not a voluntary witness at the hearing, of a doctor who treated patients after the event, of a school teacher who could articulate the particular kind of protest youngsters engaged in at the time, and so on. It also highlights a particular practice of reformulating which appears to be typical of discourses that mediate past atrocities with a view to founding new and improved democratic practices.

An introduction to essays in a special issue of Journal of Language and Politics titled "Critical Linguistic Perspectives on Coping with Traumatic Pasts" provides comprehensive summaries of the findings described in each contribution & clarifies the context of discourse that all authors address: the mediation of language in the processes of remembering human rights violations at the hearings of the South African Truth & Reconciliation Commission. As the goals of the remembering were proper documentation, repair, reconciliation, forgetting, & moving on, the commitment of critical discourse analysis to the examination of situations of power imbalance & the effective treatment of social injustice is particularly relevant to the discourses generated in & around the hearings, including (1) the discourses of the legislation creating the Commission & granting it extensive powers to investigate & adjudicate abuses of power in South Africa during the apartheid period of 1960-1994 & (2) the discourses of the witnesses at the public hearings, who were selected from a pool of 21,000 who came forward to tell their stories to Commission members. J. Hitchcock

This paper considers a number of salient, characterizing features of the verbal mediation process that took place in the TRC hearings on gross human rights violations. This is done with reference to the methodology developed in Discourse Sociolinguistics. It considers how various participants represent a particular event, each taking the perspective from which they experienced it. It notes the differences in verbal choice, & in textual & information structure of (i.a.) a journalist who witnessed this particular instance of public police excess, of a woman involved because her home was at the scene of the confrontation between police & youngsters, of one of the commanding police officers who had been subpoenaed & thus was not a voluntary witness at the hearing, of a doctor who treated patients after the event, of a school teacher who could articulate the particular kind of protest youngsters engaged in at the time, & so on. It also highlights a particular practice of reformulating which appears to be typical of discourses that mediate past atrocities with a view to founding new & improved democratic practices. References. Adapted from the source document.

The debate on truth and reconciliation : a survey of literature on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission / Annelies Verdoolaege -- Narrative inequality in the TRC hearings : on the hearability of hidden transcripts / Jan Blommaert, Mary Bock, and Kay Mccormick -- Critical discourse analysis as an analytic tool in considering selected, prominent features of TRC testimonies / Christine Anthonissen -- South African novelists and the grand narrative of apartheid / Annie Gagiano -- Linguistic bearings and testimonial practices / Fiona Ross -- History in the making/the making of history : the "German Wehrmacht" in collective and individual memories in Austria / Ruth Wodak

Central terms and concepts / Pamela Maseko, H. Ekkehard Wolff and Russell H. Kaschula -- Introduction / Russell H. Kaschula, H. Ekkehard Wolff and Pamela Maseko -- Prologue : the essentialist paradox in intellectual discourse on African languages / H. Ekkehard Wolff -- part one. African language empowerment : concept formation and intellectualisation -- 1. Researching the intellectualisation of African languages, multilingualism and education / Russell H. Kaschula and Pamela Maseko -- 2. Language empowerment and intellectualisation through multilingual higher education in South Africa / Pamela Maseko and H. Ekkehard Wolff -- part two. Language planning, terminology development and dictionaries -- 3. Language planning in South Africa : a history / Gregory Kamwendo and Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa -- 4. Language and terminology development in isiXhosa : a history / Koliswa Moropa and Feziwe Shoba -- 5. Multilingual terminology and cognition in assessment / Bassey E. Antia -- 6. IsiXhosa dictionaries, language learning and intercultural communication / Dion Nkomo -- part three. Language in education -- 7. Managing multilingualism in education : policies and practices / Anneke Potgieter and Christine Anthonissen -- 8. University multilingualism : modelling rationales for language policies / Bassey E. Antia -- 9. Language development and multilingualism at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Monwabisi K. Ralarala, Eunice Ivala, Ken Barris, Noleen Leach, Linda Manashe and Zakhile Somlata -- 10. Teacher development : promoting a biliteracy approach to epistemic access / Michael Joseph, Nompumelelo Frans and Esther Ramani -- part four. Language in the professions : law, media, science and language technology -- 11. Language and law : 'cultural translation' of narratives into sworn statements / Monwabisi K. Ralarala -- 12. Language and media : isiXhosa in journalism and media studies at a South African university / Jeanne du Toit and Pamela Maseko -- 13. Using African languages to teach science in higher education / Wanga Gambushe, Dion Nkomo and Pamela Maseko -- 14. The development of language technologies in the South African context / Justus C. Roux -- part five. Language, culture and intercultural communication -- 15. Language policy in South Africa through the Sapir-Whorf 'looking glasses' / Russell H. Kaschula and Andre M. Mostert -- 16. Language, intercultural communication and literature / Nogwaja S. Zulu -- 17. Music, literature and multilingualism in the East Cape Opera Company / Hleze Kunju and Russell H. Kaschula -- 18. Beyond language : German Studies in a South African university context / Undine S. Weber, Rebecca S.C. Domingo and Regine B. Fourie