The NPRC Statement on the Proposed
Demonstrations by the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC)
IN THE NEWS
NPRC ACTIVITIES
The NPRC Induction Workshop
From 7 to 10 August 2019, the NPRC
conducted a 3 day induction workshop in
Nyanga for its staff members to develop
their capacity with regards to the mandate
and strategy of the Commission. The
training was attended by the old and new
staff members who recently joined the
ranks of the NPRC.
The NTJWG looks forward to the full list of
the senior management in the NPRC’s
Secretariat that was promised to be shared
with the public soon after the workshop.
Following the proposed demonstrations by the MDC
from 16 to 24 August 2019 in Harare and other
surrounding areas, the NPRC released a press statement
imploring the MDC and other parties to exercise
restraint and shun violence. The main concerns raised
in the press statement were the statements made by
ZANU-PF youths in retaliation to the purported
demonstrations, the injuries sustained by women,
children and the elderly during protests, the role of the
police in curbing criminal activities during protests and
engagements with relevant stakeholders to ensure that
the protests were peaceful. However, the protests were
eventually blocked by the police citing the possibility of
violence.
The NPRC’s Engagements with
Community Representatives
On 14 August, 2019 the NPRC met with representatives
of the Chitungwiza community led by Pastor Matyora
who shared concerns and strategies on behalf of the
community on how to prevent violence in the future,
assist victims of past violence and how they can get
healing and justice. The meeting was attended by seven
people and the NTJWG looks forward to the
implementation of the action points adopted at the end
of the meeting.
The NPRC Hosts a Joint 3-Day Workshop
on the Mandate of the NPRC
From 19 to 21 August, 2019 the NPRC, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on
Justice and Legal Affairs and the Thematic Committee on Human Rights had a joint
workshop in Bulawayo on the mandate of the NPRC. Issues such as apology for the
Gukurahundi massacres, documentation for victims, strategic plan, implementation
matrix, and consensus building programmes were discussed.
The NPRC’s Workshop on Complaints Handling and Investigations
Following the recruitment of the Commission's staff, the NPRC old and new staff
members underwent an upskilling workshop on complaints handling and
investigations. This comes after a widespread call by citizens for the NPRC to expedite
its complaints handling and investigations into gross human rights violations that have
occurred in the past and recently. The NTJWG looks forward on how the Commission
will be handling complaints submitted by victims and also how investigations will be
done given the reports in the media of people, particularly women, whose rights were
violated after the 1 August, 2019 protests and the #Zimbabweshutdown protests which
occurred in January, 2019.
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NTJWG NEWLETTER AUGUST 2019