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CONCLUSION

Although the government has repeatedly asserted it is doing everything possible to end the violence, it is clear that this is not true. Steps taken in 1992 by the government could all have been taken in 1991 when they were first proposed by the ANC. Instead, the government has waited for the Goldstone Commission to make similar recommendations so that opponents cannot allege government weakness in the face of ANC demands. According to the Human Rights Commision, the number of political deaths in 1992 rose by 35% on the previous year, but the government has continued to react only after serious incidents occur, rather than developing a comprehensive policy to address the many facets of violence. The recent announcement by the government of its intention to implement a major military call-up to deal with violence and to request parliament to vote on the reintroduction of implementation of death penalty sentences indicates the urgent necessity for a different perspective in South Africa. The old repressive methods should be firmly abandoned, respect for human rights should be cultivated and intense efforts need to be urgently made to establish public trust in the rule of law.

The security forces, too, have been reluctant to change to meet the post-apartheid era. Abuses of human rights by members of the security forces continue and neither the government nor the security forces themselves have made serious efforts to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Efforts to establish better relations between the police and the black population have been slow and are hampered by the lack of police success in investigating crimes and by continuing security force bias. Perhaps more than any other single factor, the key to restoring peace in South Africa lies in creating public trust in an impartial and effective police force.