The media has also played an important role in this regard; in particular, they have exposed some
controversial deaths, including those of Rashiwe Guzha, Captain Nleya, Mthandazo Ndema
Ngwenya, and Samson Benard Paweni.
Conclusion
In Zimbabwe, there is a culture of impunity, which developed from the failure to address human
rights atrocities associated with 19th century colonialism. Truth seeking can contribute to peace,
national healing and reconciliation. While it may seem practical to focus on post 2000 human
rights abuses, this approach may be restrictive, exclude some victims and not foster peace. Thus
for the sake of inclusivity, account needs to be taken of all of the different historical narratives.
Current deliberations on the subject are at an advanced stage and have the advantage of a new
Constitution, which contains relevant provisions. The envisaged truth recovery process also has
the pre-existing benefit of official and unofficial records of the past. However, there is a limitation
on the part of the current Constitution, which seems to have traded justice for peace and
reconciliation. Also, some of the information which is contained in previous reports may not be
accurate or may even need to be updated to reflect contemporary thinking in international law,
in particular developments relating to the indivisibility of rights and gender mainstreaming.
Nonetheless, this paper suggests that truth recovery is essential. Yet this single method cannot
address different abuses associated with each historical epoch. It thus recommends that all
different sets of history ought to be attended to and consequently that there ought to be diverse
methods of addressing different abuses associated with each historical epoch. Two healthy
cautions are considered. Firstly, that it may be difficult to recover the truth about violations of
economic social and cultural rights, gender based violations and colonial wrongs. Secondly, that
while the importance of international law and the comparative method cannot be understated,
it is important that concerns of Zimbabwean victims take priority over those of local politicians
and the international community.
32
The Second International Conference on Transitional Justice in Zimbabwe
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