Nelson Mandela: Inaugural Address (1994)
Impact
While it is difficult to assess the precise impact of any speech, Mandela's inaugural address helped to promote the reconciliation agenda that was to be the hallmark of his presidency. Both blacks and whites were uplifted by his explicit commitment to bridging the chasms that had divided the two communities. In the course of his address, he made clear that as a “token of its commitment to the renewal of our country, the new Interim Government of National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of amnesty for various categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment.”
This was done: The first parliament of the new democratic South Africa passed the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act in 1995. That act provided for the setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The commission addressed the issue of amnesty not only for people imprisoned but also for perpetrators of gross violations of human rights who came...
