• Human rights organisations must open offices in Makoni constituency to help create a
culture of human rights and accountability [female participant].
• There must be equality before the law. The necessary punishments must visit all those
who broke the law [political activists].
iii. Reconciliation
• There is so much fear in Rusape. It is too early to commence reconciliation because
currently people are gripped with fear and the police are still harassing people. Perpetrators
of gross human rights atrocities since 2 000 are still in power and threatening more
violence. It is really difficult to ask people to reconcile if they are still being beaten up
and threatened with more violence [male participant who identified himself as a human
rights activist].
iv. Institutional reform
• The security sector must reform. The police are still arresting people and accusing them
of “supporting the opposition” [political activists].
• There is need for human rights NGOs to come to areas like Rusape and help with the
struggle to transform the communities to respect human rights and “not just to loot the
things that come from the donors” [male participant].
• Both the state and private media seem concerned with what is happening in Mutare
and Harare while people in areas like Rusape are kept in the dark. The media must
cover all areas [government employees].
• There must be reform of the electoral systems but this should be done through the new
constitution [political activists].
7. OBSERVATIONS
There was more active participation from individuals than from the groups. Some individuals who
identified themselves as human rights activists said that there was so much fear in the community.
The representatives of the Church were also very active and they noted that the churches in Makoni
had been subjected to intense victimisation. Participation by political groups was one-sided. It
appeared that the other political side did not attend, or, if they did, they did not come out in the
open to participate.
Taking Transitional Justice to the People – Outreach Report
37
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