s in a country that is failing to respond to the urgent need for reconciliation among other initiatives.
The Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework lists good governance as the key to achieving sustainable development and is also designed to improve the justice delivery system and rule of law.
It seeks to strengthen the mechanisms for peace-building, and for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict.
Even though the country has established a Human Rights Commission and an Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, progress has been stunted by acute differences between the two major political parties MDC-T and Zanu (PF) on mechanisms to effect these goals.
Zanu (PF) continues to undermine any progress towards peace and reconciliation. Recently, unruly Zanu (PF) supporters beat up MPs and journalists in Parliament over the Human Rights Bill, which they say they want written in local languages.
Observers say this is just a ploy by the former ruling party to delay the important Commission from starting work.
While the two MDC formations would like the commission to look at the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres and the political violence since 2008, Zanu (PF) insists the commission limit its work to the period after the formation of the Government of Nation Unity in 2009 “Particular support will be given to capacitate the state and non-state actors in the implementation of restorative and accountability measures to lay the foundation of a society characterised by mutual respect and tolerance” says ZUNDAF.
The programme will see the government of Zimbabwe providing leadership in the implementation of activities, while the UNCT will offer technical, advisory and financial support.
Courts have a huge backlog of cases that relate to political violence and only a few people have been prosecuted for their alleged role in the perpetuation of violence.
The police and the Attorney General Office claim that they do not have adequate resources to deal with case back-logs. ZUNDAF will offer support to the justice delivery system to eradicate case backlogs and also enhance national courts to operate within the statutory guidelines and international human rights standards.
Post published in: Politics