Transitional justice interventions, particularly in Africa, have failed. In this context, there is a growing interest in tradition-based community-led practices for resolving justice. Yet little is known or understood about these practices on their own terms, and what role they play in transitional justice on the continent. This volume challenges some of the underlying assumptions of current responses to mass violence on the continent, including the way these are embedded in state-centricism and an international justice system that lacks relevance in relation to the day-to-day realities of rural African communities. Through the case studies of Zimbabwe, Burundi and Mozambique the volume explores some of the limitations and possibilities with regard to justice during transitions.
Cori Wielenga is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences and an associate of the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria. She holds a PhD in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies from the University of KwaZulu Natal. Her research interest is in the intersection of legal and indigenous justice systems during transitions.
Chris Nshimbi joined GovInn as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2012 and is now a Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation (DST-NRF) Research Fellow and Deputy Director in the Centre. He holds a PhD from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) and his current research focuses on informal cross-border trade in eastern and southern Africa, regional (labour) migration, and the prospects of regional transitional justice and reconciliation policy in Africa.
