2018 TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE
SYMPOSIUM
Venue: Nesbitt Castle, Bulawayo
Day 1
(21 November 2018)
www.ntjwg.org.zw/symposium.html
Welcome and Opening Remarks
The conference commenced with welcome remarks from Reverend Dr Ray Motsi (the NTJWG
Thematic Leader on Memorialisation). Dr Motsi introduced the work of the NTJWG since 2012
when it was established and its different thematic committees which include; the Justice and
Accountability Committee, Institutional Reforms Committee, the Gender Committee,
Memorialisation Committee, Truth and Reparations Committees. Dr. Mosi also noted that as
Zimbabweans, the people in the Symposium can find solutions to the transitional justice questions in
Zimbabwe.
Paul Themba Nyathi, the NTJWG Deputy Chairperson standing in for the working group’s
Chairperson, Aleck Muchadehama, reiterated the importance of the symposium and its uniqueness in
the current prevailing Zimbabwean environment. He pointed out that the platform is a national
symposium represented by people across Zimbabwe and it is meant to produce a people driven
Transitional Justice Policy. Nyathi echoed that the NTJWG is fully aware that the Constitution of
Zimbabwe established the NPRC. He noted that this was a recognition of past human rights
violations and that its key agenda is to address gross human rights violations perpetrated in different
conflict episodes. “It is a recognition that we did not deal with the past adequately including issues of
Murambatsvina, electoral violence, poverty,” he noted. And, therefore, “we are here to ask ourselves on
the way forward rather than asking who committed what violations”. Among some of the key issues
noted by Naythi were that “at times people are dead set against transitions because they are not
sure what they will transition are transitioning to”. He reiterated the often mentioned point that
violence is humiliating to victims as it denies victims their dignity but is equally detrimental because it
contaminates the values of the perpetrators. With regards the diversity in the representation of all
sectors in Zimbabwe he acknowledged participants that had attended from Harare, Nyanga, Binga,
Mtoko, Gwanda and other places noting that this signified the richness of Zimbabwe’s cultural values.
Mr Nyathi lamented several issues:
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that there was no justification for the 3million Zimbabweans who were in the diaspora;
that those who were entrusted with the task of leading should lead with honour;
that there was need to strengthen the urgency of ordinary people to question the
accountability of leaders.
That 75% of our people cannot continue to live n abject poverty and the situation is treated
as normal
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