On which balance did the success of South Africa's democratic transition depend?

Correct answer: On the balance of justice and reconciliation

Correct answer: A. South Africa had to address the injustice of apartheid while also preventing the new democracy from becoming a cycle of revenge. Justice meant rejecting racial domination, recognising equal rights and responding to the wrongs of the past. Reconciliation meant enabling former opponents to live together and build one democratic country. If reconciliation ignored justice, victims could feel that their suffering and rights were being dismissed. If justice meant only punishment and revenge, cooperation and peaceful democratic life could become difficult. A is correct because the transition required both principles together. B, C and D are wrong because revenge, fear or racial power cannot create equal and stable democracy. Memory cue: justice repairs wrongs; reconciliation makes shared life possible.