Chairperson, as a brief background, I would like to inform the hon member that the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act created a political and moral climate for grounds of democracy and the fostering of the culture of human rights. It provided for the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, TRC, for the specific purpose of promoting national unity and reconciliation in a spirit of understanding that goes beyond the conflicts and divisions of the past.
In order to achieve this goal, the commission was mandated to, amongst other things, conduct investigations into gross human rights violations; facilitate and initiate the gathering of information and the receiving of evidence to establish the identity of victims, their fate or whereabouts and the harm suffered by them and grant amnesty for acts, attempted acts, missions and the offences associated with political activities.
One of the key functions of the TRC was to make recommendations to the President. These recommendations were to include, amongst others, reparations to victims. The Act defines reparation as including any form of compensation, ex gratia payment, restitution, rehabilitation or recognition. Victims are also defined in the Act and include certain relatives or dependants of victims. I would like to inform the hon member that the following number of victims were paid following the truth and reconciliation process.
Firstly, in terms of urgent interim reparations, individual reparations of up to R5 705 were paid to 16 654 victims. In total, an amount of approximately R50 million has been paid to victims as interim reparations, as at 31 January 2009.
Secondly, in respect of final reparations, in other words, once-off individual grants of R30 000, an amount of R476 million was paid, as of 31 January 2009. The total number of persons who applied for reparations as approved by the TRC is 16 837. The total number of beneficiaries paid to date is 15 956. The total number of beneficiaries yet to be paid is 881. The reasons why these 881 beneficiaries could not be paid are as follows: Firstly, the beneficiaries have passed on, and attempts are being made to establish the rightful next of kin, in terms of the regulations directing the payment of reparations, and that explains 219 of those 881.
Thirdly, 662 beneficiaries could not be traced, and I would like to inform the hon member that, as at 30 April 2004, 2 320 beneficiaries could not be paid, as they could not be located. From that time, 30 April 2004, until now, the department has traced and paid 1 439 beneficiaries. Therefore, as at 11 March 2010, 881 beneficiaries must still be paid.
In an effort to expedite the process, the department has taken the following steps: Firstly, the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development and the Independent Electoral Commission have been provided with a list of the outstanding beneficiaries to assist in tracing them.
Secondly, the service of a professional tracing agency was secured in August 2009 to assist in tracing the remaining beneficiaries. The tracing agency has already established the possible addresses of 201 beneficiaries and the President's Fund office is currently contacting these beneficiaries and confirming their identities. Thank you.