A Human Being Died that Night: A South African Woman Confronts the Legacy of ApartheidAn acutely nuanced and original study of a state-sanctioned mass murderer. Not since Dead Man Walking have we seen so provocative a first-person encounter with the human face of evil. Eugene de Kock, the commanding officer of state-sanctioned apartheid death squads, is currently serving 212 years in jail for crimes against humanity. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, who grew up in a black township in South Africa, served as a psychologist on that country's great national experiment in healing, the Truth and Reconcilation Commission. As this book opens, in an act of inescapable, multilayered symbolism and extraordinary psychological courage, Gobodo-Madikizela enters Pretoria's maximum security prison to meet the man called "Prime Evil." What follows is a journey into what it means to be human. Gobodo-Madikizela's experience with and deep empathy for victims of murderous violence, including those killed by de Kock and their families and friends, become clear in arresting scenes set during the TRC hearings, in which both perpetrators and their victims are given voice. The author's profound understanding of the language and memory of violence, and of the searingly complex issues surrounding apology and forgiveness after mass atrocity, will leave a mark on scholarship as well as on our emotional lives. Gobodo-Madikizela's journey with de Kock, during which she allows us to witness the extraordinary awakening of his remorse, brings us to one of the great questions of our time: What does it mean when we discover that the incarnation of evil is as frighteningly human as we are? |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - Hexum2600 - LibraryThingAs far as the subject matter goes, this book rates with some of the most interesting things I have read in a long time. The work of the TRC in post-apartheid South Africa is compelling and draws the ... Read full review
A HUMAN BEING DIED THAT NIGHT: A South African Story of Forgiveness
User Review - KirkusInterviews with a vampire: a black South African psychologist explores the mind of one of the apartheid regime's most notorious enforcers.Is it possible to forgive a monster, to reabsorb a Milosevic ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
A Human Being Died That Night: Forgiving Apartheid's Chief Killer Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela No preview available - 2013 |
A Human Being Died that Night: Forgiving Apartheid's Chief Killer Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
able actions allowed apartheid apology asked become body called Cape Town Commission committed conscience continued covert Craig Williamson crimes death emotions evil experience eyes face fact feel felt finally forced forgiveness former going hand happened head hearing human husband individual interview involved killed kind knew Kock Kock's language leaders lives looked mean meeting memory mind moral murder Nazi never operations pain past perpetrators person police political possible Press prison protect psychological question reflect response role seemed sense side simply society South Africa standing started story struggle tell testimony thing thought tion told touched township trauma tried Truth turned understand University victims violence Vlakplaas York