"Truth Be Told": A Riveting Reflection on the Unresolved Wounds of Apartheid in South Africa

As South Africa embarks on a significant year, marking three decades of its hard-won democracy, the country turns its gaze to a pivotal moment in its past through the docu-series "Truth Be Told." Airing on SABC 3, the series recollects the effort of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to heal a nation scarred by the violent bigotry of the apartheid regime.

In light of upcoming provincial and national elections, "Truth Be Told" ventures into the heart-rending memories of individuals who suffered immense personal losses inflicted by the forces of a government that once upheld segregation and racial discrimination as its ideology. The 9 PM time slot on SABC 3 will be home to myriad stories bound by a common sentiment, an emotive unveiling of the past whispering into the present.

The TRC, established in the transformative year of 1995, sought to confront the atrocities of the apartheid period, insisting on truth-telling as an avenue for reconciliation and extending amnesty to those willing to divulge their roles in human rights breaches. The commission's legacy culminates in a report, over two decades ago, which singled out 300 cases that demanded investigation and potential prosecution.

"Truth Be Told" casts a unique light on an individual who experienced the tremors of the apartheid havoc as a child, now stepping forward in the narrational foreground of the series as an adult. This standpoint reshapes the communal understanding of lasting scars and unsought closure.

Riveting in its attention to detail and broad in its emotional scope, Enver Samuel takes the directorial reigns, shaping "Truth Be Told" into a profound tribute to the valiant. Through his lens, the burden of trans-generational trauma is placed on display, bringing audience and filmmaker alike into an intimate acquaintance with unrelenting anguish.

Samuel's introspective odyssey underscores the urgency of revisiting the caverns of pain left by the old regime's ruthlessness, igniting a hope that the series will catalyze the progress of long-stagnated cases. With six families at its core, "Truth Be Told" renders a painstaking scrutiny of cases yet unresolved—stories like The Phila Portia Ndwandwe story, The Bheki Mlangeni story, The Ntombi Kubheka story, and The Topsy Madaka story speak to the series' investigatory heft.

The series, embracing both documentary form and narrative power, challenges its audience to consider the notions whereby 'truth' and 'reconciliation' might seem at odds, exposing a narrative far more porous and complex than the official account. As "Truth Be Told" challenges viewers to confront an injustice stubbornly persistent through the generations, it becomes evident that South Africa's road to reconciliation is far from over.

Join the national introspection every Monday night on SABC 3 starting from the 4th of March 2022.