A Guide to Understanding A Guide to Understanding the the NATIONAL NATIONAL PEACE & RECONCILIATION PEACE & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION COMMISSION IN ZIMBABWE IN ZIMBABWE Acknowledgments The National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG) Function acknowledges support given Examples by various stakeholders during the A good example is that families development of this guide. of the abducted activists may want theoftruth so that they is the Special thanks go to the secretariat thetold NTJWG, which can find closure. That is making Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. of amends. - For example, a woman in This guide would not have been successful without the generous Makonde who reports to the support of our funding partners.police about activists who burnt her house may want For feedback and informationthe in this guide, wethat are the grateful truth told so case to the stakeholders who read throughmay the draft guide and gave valuable be revived and alleged perpetrators are tried in court. input. we owe it to the thousands of victims who havestructure requested for ToFinally, develop procedures and -A national mediation institutions at national level can be set up at national level keeps this simplified guide. It is their enduring hope for healing which tousfacilitate dialogue among to help with sustained dialogue on our feet. political parties, communities, and engagement among organisations and other groups political parties. in order to prevent conflicts and -In Malawi, the Bishops disputes arising in the future. established the Public Affairs Committee which facilitated continuous dialogue among political parties. During the transition from President Joyce Banda to Peter WaMutharika, the Public Affairs Committee played a crucial role in mediating between leaders to ensure that the election and the upcoming transition were peaceful. 18 4