South Africa's transition to democracy viewed from the just war perspective

Abstract

This is a study of South Africa’s new dispensation viewed from the just war point of view. The thesis of this study is that, the peace that was established after the formal and informal negotiations was not just and could not be durable because it did not eliminate the root cause of the conflict. The thesis is predicated on the recognition that: A debt or a feud is never extinguished till the equilibrium has been restored, even if several generations elapse … to the African there is nothing so incomprehensible or unjust in our system of law as the Statute of Limitations, and they always resent a refusal on our part to arbitrate in a suit on the grounds that it is too old. (Driberg, 1934:238).