Opinion: Fake apologies can never lead to reconciliation

Tune into the world news any hour and most certainly it will include the latest apology from political, religious and corporate leaders concerning mistakes of the past or present.

In the last twelve months we have been treated to Volkswagen’s apology over diesel emissions, Apple’s confession over its slower performing batteries and Mark Zuckerberg endless contrition over leaking of Facebook private information.

Barrack Obama rendered apologies on a monthly basis over Japan bombings, Guantanamo detainees, War on Terror and treatment of Muslims and others. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister has followed a similar path with regards to Canada’s dark past.

Apologies and confessions have become so common the United Nations have set aside September 14th each year as World Fraternity and Apology Day.

Here in Kenya we too have not been left behind in this new trend of acknowledgment and contrition. Uhuru Kenyatta devoted a considerable chunk of his address to the nation on Wednesday to the divisions and polarisation that have characterised public life in the last 12 months.

Mr Kenyatta said, “If I there was anything I said last year that hurt or wounded, I ask you to forgive me ....or if I damaged the unity of the nation.” His Deputy William Ruto quickly read the mood of his boss’s address and on his Twitter account stated emphatically, “I unreservedly apologise to anyone I have wronged and I have forgiven all those who have wronged me.”

Impressive stuff! Well not quite. Mr Kenyatta’s apology was not specific or unequivocal in that it was prefixed by the conditional ‘IF’. Mr Ruto’s response on the other hand was general, vague and hardly beneficial towards national reconciliation. Both apologies were about as clear in meaning or direction as the March 9th handshake between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Raila Odinga.

Point I am getting at is that words of apology must be accompanied by acts and gestures of reparation and reconciliation; otherwise they just retraumatise the injured. It may be painful to say ‘sorry’ to your spouse or sibling but if it leads to restoring relationships and forgiveness then it is significant.

But even then the offender must state specifically what he has done wrong so that the offended is in a position to forgive. Confession must be clear and be accompanied by reparations to rebuild the broken relationship.

Let me illustrate this. Last month, Pope Francis apologised for the ‘grave errors’ he made in handling sexual abuse cases in Chile. When he visited the country earlier this year he had adamantly defended Bishop Juan Barros who was accused of covering up the abuse of a notorious paedophile priest.

Then Archbishop O’Malley of Boston challenged the Pontiff on the matter and the latter agreed to send a Maltese Archbishop to repeat the investigations. After receiving testimony from 64 victims it was obvious that Barros was part of the cover up. Francis apologised unreservedly and invited three victims to the Vatican to say sorry and ask forgiveness.

Three survivors spent the last week with the Pontiff and he admitted to them, ‘I was part of the problem’. Furthermore, the Pope has called the Chilean Bishops to Rome later this month when he is expected to dismiss Barros from office for his negligence and collusion.

How wonderful that the Pontiff who was once deemed infallible can admit that he too was a sinner and seek forgiveness from victims. Forgiveness in public is often linked to amnesty upon full disclosure.

As part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of South Africa, those involved in political killings and other grave crimes were granted amnesty provided they revealed publicly all of their offences.

Yet, there can be no reconciliation unless there is reform, reparation and disclosure. Reconciliation is not an event, nor a handshake nor an announcement; it is a long process that begins when we acknowledge the damage to victims and find appropriate punishment for beneficiaries of a divided society and a flawed electoral system.

Words alone are just fake apologies and public relations exercises, cynically trampling on rights of victims. Kenya has a way forward in implementing the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission report that has been shelved by the team now calling for reconciliation. There can be no reconciliation without truth, disclosure, lustration, reparations and justice. Anything less is fake and dishonest politics.