ii. Competence It is not sufficient to have a Secretariat that is independent when they lack the necessary skill. The Secretariat of the NPRC are expected to be the reservoir of the competence and skill required for the NPRC to succeed. The NPRC will rise and fall with the calibre of the people who will man their offices and interface with the survivors of past violations. The skill required may at many times be specialised, the skill necessary to enable the commission to build bridges among many conflictual parties, build relations with many wounded survivors. This is not the kind of work that anyone can do. In their search, the Commission must be determined to get the best possible talent available in the world, remembering that while there maybe opportunities for further capacity enhancement, time is not on their side. iii. Resources NTJWG stakeholders are entities that have and continue to be involved in the work of other Commissions. We are aware from experience that the world over, resource starvation is always a tool used by adversaries to try and influence negatively the work of the Commission. It is tragic that the Commission’s processes of recruitment have commenced at a time when t h e e c o n o m y i s i n a m e l t d o w n . Po o r remuneration may cost the Commission good talent. It thus becomes important the Commission be prepared to invest in its Secretariat in a manner that guarantees that it gets to attract the best talent that can get the job done. In that regard, NTJWG encourages development partners to assist the NPRC in this infant stage of its work with the necessary resources. Apart from treasury, the law allows the NPRC to get independent funding for its work. iv. Other Considerations Beyond these three consideration highlighted in this briefing, many other factors may affect the quality of the Secretariat and the quality of its effectiveness. These include the location and accessibility of offices, decentralisation and other support mechanisms that link the Secretariat with other actors in the processes of healing and reconciliation. The Commission is encouraged to carefully consider every aspect of this process in order to achieve the best results. CONCLUSION The NPRC may be only serving the nation for a few years, but the impact of its work will certainly outlive this generation. This work must be carried out with love and compassion. It is a duty sacred to humanity as it is to the national consciousness of who we are as a people. NTJWG can only wish the NPRC the best of success as it undertakes this process. We remain present, and ready to assist when called upon and always giving honest feedback. We encourage the people of Zimbabwe to embrace this process sincerely as the nation continues to forge its path to sustainable peace under the leadership of the NPRC. NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE WORKING GROUP ZIMBABWE FOLLOW US For real time updates, please keep following us on Facebook and Twitter. GET IN TOUCH WITH NTJWG Visit our offices on Suite 4, Number 1 Raleigh Street, Harare Call us on +263 770177/8. Email us on info@ntjwg.org.zw www.ntjwg.org.zw