the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program

compensation victims deserved; and 4) to consider amnesty applications. After
an investigative stage and a series of hearings, the TRC issued a final report in
1998. 181
From the outset there were limits imposed on the scope of the TRC’s
investigations by its legal mandate, subsequent rulings of the executive branch,
and political considerations, as well as ties to the fragile status quo that
prevailed in the first years after the transition and time constraints. The TRC
process has been criticized from several different quarters. Some have charged
that the process was hopelessly naive from the beginning. Others have cited
the lack of personnel with experience working in the military or intelligence
community as a fatal flaw that limited the Commission’s ability to uncover the
truth about past atrocities. 182 However, the temper of the times and its legal
mandate called for the body to primarily focus on uncovering past atrocities
and promoting reconciliation. This mandate shaped the questions, procedures
and personnel who worked as investigators and lawyers for the Commission.
Moreover, TRC lawyers were required by law to protect the civil liberties of
South African citizens who were accused of past wrongdoing, while ensuring
that no one was above the law. These requirements meant that the TRC
process was extremely slow and time-consuming.
From the start the TRC investigation into Project Coast was limited by
Ministry of Defense restrictions, designed to ensure that the investigation did
not became a "fishing expedition.” TRC investigators worked closely with
military intelligence and representatives of other agencies, as TRC
investigators were sensitive to the needs of several ongoing criminal
investigations and national security concerns. “National security” proved to be
the major constraint on the scope of the hearings. Time was also a limiting
factor, as Basson’s lawyers engaged in a series of stall tactics that delayed his
appearance until the closing days of TRC hearings. Thus, a number of
questions about this project remained unanswered at the time the TRC
70