Dr Berend Mets, an internationally acclaimed author and celebrated medical professional, dives deep into his latest novel, Truth & Conciliation, an exploration of forgiveness against the backdrop of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings.

Known for his previous acclaimed work, Immorality Act, Mets builds on his profound understanding of the complex narratives woven through South Africa's history.

He shares that the novel is set in Cape Town in 1996, and follows an Afrikaans doctor navigating his request for amnesty concerning his participation in apartheid-era atrocities. Initially a quest for legal redemption, his plea evolves into a deeply introspective reckoning when he encounters Detective Thembisa Dlamini, a determined Xhosa police officer who compels him to confront his past.

In Truth & Conciliation, Mets says he aims to convey a powerful message about forgiveness, articulated through the relationships depicted in the story. “I hope it will be widely read and acknowledged as what it is trying to send: a message of the power of forgiveness but also, in the end, a sense of hope. And there are two relationships running through this book and their ultimate message of hope, of course, reconciliation. And so that is what I want to leave the reader with,” he shares.

This duality of hope and reconciliation serves as the ultimate takeaway he hopes to instil in his readers.

Mets also reveals that he draws heavily on his admiration for the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a key proponent of the TRC’s mission to bring South Africa back from the brink of civil unrest towards healing and unity.

Reflecting on a pivotal moment during a town hall meeting in KwaZulu-Natal, Mets recounts the profound impact Tutu had on him as he witnessed the Archbishop's unwavering humility and charismatic presence despite the hostility he faced in the press.

“I was practising as a medical doctor in KwaZulu-Natal in the hospital, and Bishop Desmond Tutu came for a town hall meeting, and we all got to see him being vilified by the press because he is an anti-apartheid activist. So we went to this town hall packed with people. And there he was, the most humble and charismatic man we all know. There he was, right in front of us, talking conciliation; he was such a humane person, and he could bring people together. And that was a pivot point in my understanding of the promise because here we are, seeing somebody who is vilified by the press, but when you see this person, their humanness comes,” said Mets as he acknowledged the importance of Tutu's influence in shaping his understanding of the promise of reconciliation," he said.

He sees the TRC hearings as not just a period of legal reckoning but as a transformative journey towards understanding and healing.

“So then, to write a sequel, which is a completely standalone novel, I sought to find another major pivot point in South Africa's recent history. And so having had an enormous respect for Archbishop Tutu. I thought about the idea of centering the Truth and Reconciliation around the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings that were happening, of course, throughout the country from 1996 to 1998,” he explains.

Mets credits much of his creative inspiration to his wife, born in SA, who plays a role as both his muse and critical partner in shaping his stories.

“She is my muse and best critic,” he states, acknowledging her invaluable feedback and contributions in crafting his stories.

Born in Indonesia to Dutch parents and raised amid the complexities of apartheid, Mets pursued a career in medicine that eventually took him to the United States, where he currently teaches at Pennsylvania State University. With a distinguished career in anaesthesiology and significant contributions to medical literature, Mets transitioned to fiction, finding a voice for those often left unheard. His MFA in Creative Writing at Carlow University in Pittsburgh has further enabled him to uncover forgotten histories and give life to urgent stories.

Saturday Star

anita.nkonki@inl.co.za