National Peace and Reconciliation Commission

The Document

File:National Peace & Reconciliation Commission Bill.pdf

Summary of provisions

The Act provides for the functions, powers, operations and removal from office of the members of the Commission, manner of conducting investigations and staffing of the Commission, among others.

It also provides for the independence of the Commission and empowers individuals that may have been affected by any dispute or conflict out of any act of omission or commission on the part of an authority or person to make oral or written submissions to the Commission in any one of the official languages.

Main functions

• To prevent ,reduce and manage conflict in Zimbabwe
• To promote peace and national healing unity and cohesion in Zimbabwe
• and enable peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts among other functions

Overall functions of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has the following ten functions according to the parliament of Zimbabwe website.

• to ensure post-conflict justice, healing, and reconciliation;

• to develop and implement programmes to promote national healing, unity, and cohesion in Zimbabwe and the peaceful resolution of disputes;

• to bring about national reconciliation by encouraging people to tell 15 the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and the provision of justice;

• to develop procedures and institutions at a national level to facilitate dialogue among political parties, communities, organizations and other groups, in order to prevent conflicts and disputes arising in the future; 20

• to develop programmes to ensure that persons subjected to persecution, torture and other forms of abuse receive rehabilitative treatment and support;

• to receive and consider complaints from the public and to take such action in regard to the complaints as it considers appropriate; 25

• to develop mechanisms for early detection of areas of potential conflicts

and disputes, and to take appropriate preventive measures;

• to do anything incidental to the prevention of conflict and the promotion of peace;

• to conciliate and mediate disputes among communities, organizations, 30 groups and individuals; and

• to recommend legislation to ensure that assistance, including documentation, is rendered to persons affected by conflicts, pandemics or other circumstances.

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Commissioners

• Vice President Kembo Mohadi (Head)
• Selo Maselo Nare (Chairperson)
• Lilian Chigwedere (Deputy Chairperson)
• Dr Geoffrey Chada
• Dr Golden Chekenyere
• Patience Chiradza
• Rev Charles Masunungure
• Netty Musanhu
• leslie Ncube
• Choice Ndoro

Multi-stakeholder interactive forum

On 30 November 2017, the Commission held its first multi-stakeholder interactive forum to envision a National Convergence and Dialogue on Peace and Reconciliation.The stakeholders deliberated on the envisaged peace. reconciliation, healing and natio. convergence and dialogue; The multi-stakeholder platform resolved and agreed that there be the following:

• A National Dialogue to Develop a shared Vision for Zimbabwe that Promotes Peace, Unity and Reconciliation (before end of March 2018).

The agenda of the commission to revolve around but not limited to:

• Strategies for developing a culture that promotes values of tolerance, respect and celebration of diversity, inclusivity, honesty, truth telling, repentance, forgiveness, true healing and human dignity.
• Economic integration. equitable distribution and allocation of resources and development.
• Respect and adherence to the constitution of Zimbabwe, its spirit and values
• Enshrining values of inclusivity and respect for diversity in national h.ling and reconciliation, with particular emphasis on women, youths, older persons, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

National Dialogue Reference Group (N-DRG) establishment

An inclusive and multi-stakeholder National Dialogue Reference Group (N-DRG) was established as a think-tank to support the NPRC in convening the National Dialogues.

The Multi-Stakeholder Platform further resolved and agreed to:

• create a conducive environment for free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe.
• scale up capacitation and strengthening of institutions that support peace in the country.
• recognise and strengthen traditional and other existing home-grown conflict resolution mechanisms in the Country.
• prohibit inflammatory statements, political party slogans that promote hate and denigrating language and sensational false media coverage.
• All institutions, public, private and civil should promote peace and social cohesion.

Suspension of public meetings

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) postponed its public consultations due to a court challenge. The challenge was from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum which wanted Commission w to have a substantive chairperson first before it started meeting with communities.^[3]

Provincial Visits for Stakeholder Consultations

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) visited the ten Provinces of Zimbabwe to engage various stakeholders as part of the process leading to the National Convergence and Dialogue Conference followed by the Strategic Planning workshop.

The key objectives for the provincial visits were:

• To enhance stakeholder awareness of the NPRC, its mandate and functions.
• To provide a platfomi for stakeholders to conMbute their ideas into the strategic priorities of the NPRC.
• To map the local and regional level capacities for peace, healing and reconciliation according to provinces.

References