• Global competition for resources and increasing conflict triggered by global corporate interests over resource acquisition. Taken together these challenges are undoubtedly formidable, and in this regard the scale of the tasks in security sector transformation mirror the massive challenges facing economic recovery in Zimbabwe. But whilst we do discuss and contest the economic options, there is simply no meaningful national debate on security sector governance, modernization and transformation. The real question to ask in this regard concerns whether security sector governance and a national dialogue on policy and doctrine and transformation in the security sector are issues of national policy formulation or still remain trapped in partisan political contestation. Is there an understanding of the real nature of the problems? Is there a basis for a genuine national dialogue and the development of a national consensus and vision on the issues? Is there the political willingness to address the challenges? Is there capacity (or plans to build capacity) to enable us to undertake the necessary transformation? What are the prospects for transformation in the security sector and the development of a genuine national dialogue, which could lead to a national consensus and the implementation of a national vision for such a safe and secure, sovereign and independent Zimbabwe in the future? Strategies to enhance citizen safety and security For the past ten years I have worked, together with other comrades from both the liberation movement and younger generations, to develop a National Security Sector Transformation (NSST) Plan. We have worked closely with both the state sector and civil society, at times harmoniously and often with difficulty. This is sensitive terrain after all. When we started this work in 2009 it was certainly a very difficult time and there were many who expressed doubts that we could make any progress. Indeed there were many who expressed outright opposition and hostility. Fortunately there were others who recognized the challenges and the need to address them and were prepared to accompany us despite the obvious risks. The organization we established is called the Zimbabwe Peace and Security Programme (ZPSP). It’s Trustees included former liberation fighters from both ZANLA and ZPRA and members of the MDC formations.13 The programme Steering 13 The Founding Trustees were: Sobusa Gula-Ndebele (former ZANLA and Zimbabwe National Army officer and former Attorney-General), Professor Reginald Austin (former ZAPU member, distinguished international lawyer and civil servant and first Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission), Ms Freedom Nyamubaya (former ZANLA officer, feminist and poet and rural development activist), Paul Temba Nyathi (detainee under the Rhodesian regime, civil society activist and founder member of the MDC-T), Dr Augustus Mudzingwa (medical practitioner and former ZANLA officer, MDC-T Secretary for Defence and Security Affairs and Deputy Minister of Transport in the GNU), Nyasha Masiwa (former ZANLA officer, journalist and broadcaster and former UN conflict 18