reconciliation. Courts only work for the rich. There is a complication there” [individual participant]. • The people would rather trust an international body to lead the process of the truth recovery. If it was not possible, then they could settle for civil society [unanimous]. iv. Reparations • While the emphasis was on accountability and institutional reforms, participants would want to avoid the judiciary because much of the time the legal system has got nothing for the victims; victims would benefit from a truth commission which would make recom­ mendations for the reparations to the victims. Although the state may bear the overall duty to pay for reparations for the suffering, perpetrators too must pay [all groups]. 7. OBSERVATIONS • ZANU(PF) politically dominates Mhondoro-Mubaira. The councillors and traditional leaders are not very open to human rights organizations. The facilitators were informed that the ZANU(PF) councillor had instructed traditional leaders not to attend the meeting. • However, the participation of those who attended indicated that although there is a history of intimidation and political violence, the community is ready to come out of their “shell of misery” and discuss matters of transitional justice. Consequently, the meeting was successful in stimulating discussion around the issue and allowing participants to open a closed chapter in their area. They also got the opportunity to review their own local governance. • However, the boycott called for by the councillor was very unfortunate in that it robbed the society of the participation of both sides of the political divide. 84 Taking Transitional Justice to the People – Outreach Report