AL2924 :: The Sally Sealey TRC Collection

Collection No:	AL2924
Title:	The Sally Sealey TRC Collection
Creator:	Unknown
Origination:	Sally Sealey
Publisher:	SAHA
Inclusive Dates:	1960-1994
Extent:	1.8 linear metres (18 archival boxes); 19 photographs
Language:	English
Acquisition:	Accession Number: 02-012
Access Restrictions:	This collection is open for research
Use Restrictions:	Copyright restrictions may apply. See SAHA copyright statement for Use Restrictions.
Copyright:	Finding Aid: © The South African History Archive (SAHA)
Created:	02 July 2009
Abstract:	Sally Sealey came to South Africa in the late 1960s, and got involved in student politics in the early 1980s. During her stay, she came into contact with the residents of Thokoza and adjacent townships. This area was the epicenter of violence in Gauteng, with a recorded 3500 murders in the first three and half years of the 1990s. She worked very closely with Self-Defence Units (SDUs) in the area. So she could speak as a good authority on matters of human rights violations especially in the Thokoza area, having been involved in the daily life of the people there. With the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), she became a member attached to the Johannesburg Regional Office's Investigative Unit. Specifically she adopted a defendants' position, helping some of the suspects to apply for amnesty. She was the main external link in applying for amnesty for suspects who had formerly been members of the SDUs unit in the East Rand. She encouraged and helped the suspects to fill in Amnesty applications. As a result of her experience, this collection includes unique records regarding the processes and information generated during the proceedings of the TRC.