statement by the NTJWG was concise, full of information and carried precise demands on what the government of Zimbabwe needed to do to stop crimes against humanity and how the international community should also respond. The response was phenomenal. The government did not expect to be called out as they went on a rampage. However, the NTJWG remained resolute and put out the alert. Part of the responses from the international community and other stakeholders were because of this information. v. NPRC Briefing - November 2018: Ensure Independent, Competent and WellResourced Secretariat for the NPRC Summary The briefing released on 4 November 2018 highlights the challenges faced by the NPRC in coming-up with a Secretariat to carry out its work. Different newspapers in Zimbabwe advertised the vacancy of the Executive Secretary with deadlines for applications given as 26 October 2018. The NTJWG in the Brief notes the efforts by UNDP in helping with the recruitment process. The NTJWG discusses the need for an independent, well-resourced and competent secretariat and stresses the need to adhere to these principles and several others. The argument in the Brief is that this is key for the quality of the Secretariat and its effectiveness available: Here Impact The discussions in this Briefing Paper were important in shaping the discourse around the operations of the NPRC. Most stakeholders lauded the NTJWG for flagging the issues. Local and international stakeholders have taken time to address these issues with the NPRC Commissioners as well as the Government. vi. NTJWG Pre-Election Transitional Justice Briefing: An Urgent Call for Action! Embracing the Imperatives of Peace, Avoiding Violence The NTJWG Briefing questioned the activities of the Zimbabwe National Army concerning the scheduled election on 30 July 2018 to elect the President, House of Assembly members as well as local councillors. The Brief noted the fears that increasingly the military in Zimbabwe kept noting that the election would be a culmination of the November coup that removed President Mugabe. The Brief also highlights the increased levels of violence in most and rural areas as well as utterances by ZANU PF officials that the military would not give up power to civilians. The NTJWG then goes on to call on local political parties, the police, SADC, the AU and the rest of the international community to continue watching Zimbabwe’s political landscape as the risk of politically motivated violence leading into conflict was high. The full press statement is available: Here Impact The Briefing was shared with the international community, the African Union, SADC and was used in meetings calling for peace and adherence to nonviolence in the upcoming election by the NTJWG when it engaged political parties as well as state security agencies. While the Election Day was peaceful, fears that had previously been expressed in this Brief about the military’s use of ANNUAL REPORT 2018 11