Foreword On 22 May 2013, President Robert Mugabe signed into law the new Table 5 Constitution of Zimbabwe following a long constitutional reform process dating as far back as 1999. One of the key features of this Advantages of Specifying the Disadvantages of Specifying Constitution is Investigations Chapter 12, which establishes five Independent Period of the Period of Investigation Commissions Supporting Democracy. One of the independent The NPRC is clear on what it is This can be deemed to be commissions in this Chapter is the National Peacepersons and to investigate. targeting certain hence creating potential Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), which is given the duty to resistance ensure post-conflict justice, healing, and reconciliation. This The NPRC will be efficient as no Many times the cut-off date is Commission represents the efforts of many organisations including time is wasted looking into this hardly agreed by all actors. churches, victim groups, non-governmental organisations and issue. international organisations that have been clamoring for a A cut-off date is partly an There is a danger of some commission to help the society come to terms with its violent past. It acknowledgment of human victims being left out if they fall represents hopes of many victims (and survivors) of past human rights the violations. outside the cut-off date. rights Itviolations that andThe healing maydate see the of is easier for thetruth, NPRCjustice to design cut-off canlight affect the day. a work plan with specific dates. comprehensiveness of the NPRC work. The successes or failures of the NPRC are still to be seen. But what is lack an of aimportant specific timeframe in thehas Constitution and the The NPRC clearThe is that conversation already started. Act leaves the NPRC with some flexibility on how to approach success of the NPRC will depend on the general support from allthis issue. stakeholders and the cooperation of the government. This Guide to Understanding the NPRC is our contribution to ensuring that the purpose understood andFOR supported NPRC is visible, itsURUGUAY’S COMMISSION PEACE by all. The Guide is simple to use and understand. Written in plain language, Uruguay’s Commission for Peace established by President Jorge the guide is a valuable resource forwas civic education, community Batelle in 2000 to investigate the fate of the disappeared during the leaders and facilitators, survivors of human rights violence military regime fromschools, 1973 to 1985. This was in accordance with the Amnesty Law which requiredlawmakers the government investigate the human1986 rights defenders, lawyers, andtoanyone who fates of the estimated 200 disappearances. The Commission operated wants to understand the NPRC and its work in Zimbabwe. We hope for only two years. The reason why the Commission was able to do you willitsfind thisinguide useful. work only two years is because it was a successor to previous Commissions of Inquiry. Secondly, it was tasked with investigating a specific issue of 200 people between 1973 and Muchadehama, Alec- disappearances (Mr.) 1985. Zimbabwe’s NPRC has a much broader mandate and no NTJWG Chairperson specific focus, hence a period of 10 years is not a lot of time. Harare, 2017 27 5