Call for setting up of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission

Concerned that the life span of the commission is pegged at ten years from the ‘effective date’ of the 2013 Constitution. And realising it is almost three years since the 2013 Constitution ‘effective date’. As a commission that is mandated to bring closure to an era of human rights abuses and violations.

Worried that the country is currently witnessing abductions, cases of politically motivated intra-party and inter-party violence and also realising that political actors have already started preparing for 2018 elections and cases of harassment, intimidation and organised violence and torture continue to be recorded.

Cognizant of the fact that Zimbabwe has endured a legacy of violence resulting in loss of life, displacements, enforced disappearances and torture just to mention a few. These have resulted in bitterness, hatred, revengefulness and lack of cohesion in Zimbabwe’s communities. It is, therefore, imperative to break the cycle of violence and establish a strong foundation for peace and justice thereby inculcating a culture of respect for human rights in Zimbabwe.

Mindful of the fact that failure to operationalise the NPRC within a reasonable time is a violation of Section 324 of the Constitution which states that “ all constitutional obligations must be performed diligently and without delay.”

We, therefore, call for:

1. The Executive to finalise the appointment of Commissioners and urge the responsible ministry to put expeditiously in place an enabling law that will ensure that the NPRC becomes operational.
2. The Government of Zimbabwe to demonstrate strong political will and commitment to national healing, peace and reconciliation by ensuring that the NPRC is operationalised without delay.
3. The government to prioritise the NPRC in its 2016 Budget by clearly dedicating resources to funding the NPRC.

In light of the above, as a consortium of organisations involved in peacebuilding efforts in Zimbabwe, we commit ourselves to assisting the government to achieve this as we have done in the past.

Statement endorsed by:

Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ) ……………………………….

Heal Zimbabwe Trust                                                 (HZT)   …………………………….

Zimbabwe Human rights NGO Forum                                                ……………………………..

Zimbabwe Centre for Civic Education Trust           (Zimcet)            ……………………………..