CHEGUTU 1. CONSTITUENCY: CHEGUTU EAST 2. PROVINCE: MASHONALAND WEST 3. VENUE: UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 4. DATE: 29 JANUARY 2010 5. PARTICIPANTS: No. 28 Sex: 39% female Age: 17–72, average 37 years From: church leaders, youths, women, political activists, women, and government employees 6. RECOMMENDATIONS i. Truth recovery • “If we do not learn from our past, we will be punished by the future” [youth]. • Truth recovery is key to national healing [church leadership] • Without the truth, it will be difficult to heal. • The Church could lead the process because its leaders are honest and have already started the process of healing the communities [church leadership]. • The Church is easily intimidated so civil society should lead the truth recovery [political activists]. ii. Institutional reform • Institutional reforms should top the priority list because of the violence, torture, intimidation and corruption taking place as a result of failed institutions. The civil service, security sector, constitution and traditional leadership need urgent reform [most participants]. a. The security sector • Security sector reform must be aimed at restoring the rule of law [political activists]. • The Central Intelligence Organisation must be dismantled because it has become an institution of violence [political activists]. • The police and the army need to be professionalized and made independent from manipulation by the politicians [women’s group]. b. The civil service • The education and health sectors were in need of immediate reform [youth, government employees]. • The civil service is very corrupt and self-serving without regard to its mandate [church representatives]. • There must be attractive remuneration for teachers in order to retain them at schools [youth group]. Taking Transitional Justice to the People – Outreach Report 67