Press Release
24 September 2014
Introducing the National Transitional Justice
Working Group in Zimbabwe
1.0 Introduction
Today, we the members of the National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG),
would like to introduce ourselves to the people of Zimbabwe. The National
Transitional Justice Working Group is a platform established by 46 non-state
Zimbabwean transitional justice stakeholders to provide the interface between
transitional justice stakeholders and the official transitional justice processes in
Zimbabwe. In this press release, we would like to outline our vision, objectives and
strategic goals as shaped by the mandate given to us by the varied transitional justice
stakeholders in Zimbabwe.
2.0 Background to the Formation of the National Transitional Justice Working Group
The NTJWG is a culmination of the efforts of many stakeholders dating back to the
symposium on Civil Society and Justice in Zimbabwe which was held in Johannesburg
from 11 to 13 August 2003. The Symposium, which was attended by leaders from over
70 civil society organisations from Zimbabwe, developed the key positions on how past
human rights violations ought to be addressed. Some very important recommendations
were made which included the need to put in place mechanisms to ensure that past
violations never reoccur in Zimbabwe. Thus the Symposium recommended the need to set
up institutions to deal with past and present human rights violations and that such institutions
be empowered not only to investigate and seek truth but also to recommend criminal
prosecution, provide redress and reparations for victims, and lead to the healing of the nation.
From 8 to 9 September 2008, just before the signing of the Global Political Agreement
civil society leaders met at a Transitional Justice Options for Zimbabwe Workshop convened
by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in Harare and adopted the following
fundamental principles for transitional justice in Zimbabwe:
•
Victim-centeredness
•
Comprehensive, inclusive, consultative participation of all stakeholders,
particularly the victims,
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