there are potential risks of injustices especially against women and child victims if due care is not taken to put control measures on these processes which remain largely led by men. Indeed arguments have been raised over the ineffectiveness of traditional justice mechanism in Zimbabwe to deal with gross human rights violations such as torture and rape which are proscribed internationally. ZIMCET and HZT are of the view however that digging in and not allowing the process of traditional justice to be put to the test will not help the situation. There are well documented cases and instances where traditional justice systems and institutions have been utilized and they have delivered much needed justice and peace in communities. Moreover, in many instances some of the crimes that have been committed are not regarded as international crimes or gross human rights violations. In addition, in any implementation of traditional justice mechanisms, there must be proof that the processes do not impinge on fundamental principles of international human rights law. Thus, for example, traditional methods of reparation through the duty to surrender a female relative as payment for a crime would be unacceptable no matter how steeped in tradition they might be. Where people have been wronged through theft of livestock, destruction of crops, houses, assault and other related crimes there should be an effort to try and use traditional justice mechanisms which in Zimbabwe’s are quite reparative and can lead to more peaceful co - existence in communities. 10. RECOMMENDATIONS ZIMCET and HZT recommend that if traditional justice mechanisms are to have any meaningful impact on helping victims in Zimbabwe realize their rights to remedy and reparation, efforts need to be made to reinvigorate traditional justice systems and apply them to current debates on transitional justice through some processes outlined below: 19

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