/ 29 May 2004

N Ireland to learn from SA’s truth commission

The UK’s Northern Ireland minister will be in the country next week to see what can be learned from South Africa’s process of reconciliation, the British High Commission said on Friday.

As part of a global fact-finding mission, Paul Murphy, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, will be looking at South Africa’s experience of dealing with conflict, and in particular, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

The five-day visit will include meetings with those involved in the constitutional negotiations in the early 90’s, and with former TRC commissioners. He will also visit reconciliation projects.

The aim is to see what lessons might be learned and applied to the situation in Northern Ireland.

Murphy arrives in Cape Town on Sunday and will fly to Johannesburg on Wednesday. ‒ Sapa