LUPANE EAST 1. CONSTITUENCY: LUPANE EAST 2. PROVINCE: MATABELELAND NORTH 3. VENUE: SIBANGANI PRIMARY SCHOOL 4. DATE: 06 NOVEMBER 2009 5. PARTICIPANTS: No.: 137 Sex: 72% female Age: 13–79, average 42 years From: school children, school leavers, traditional leaders, women and government employees 6. RECOMMENDATIONS i. Traditional leadership • Traditional leaders are “being used to further the political whims of ZANU(PF), only to be discarded like old rags after outliving their usefulness. This has resulted in the people labelling us traitors who are worse off than dogs.” Traditional leaders are forced into rounding up people like cattle so that they vote for a particular party. This has contributed to the loss of respect for traditional leaders and their counterparts, the community leaders. Now they are considered to be inhlekisa [laughing stock] by the people [male participant]. • The dignity of traditional leaders as leaders needs to be restored [traditional leaders]. ii. Truth recovery • “Kunzima ukuthi ungathi uyaxola ungazi ukuthi uxolela bani njalo umxolelani.” [“It is important for the perpetrators to come out into the open and confess their crimes.”] It is difficult to forgive someone when you don’t know what he or she has done and why you should forgive [group of youths]. “Okulempondo akufihlwa emgodleni.” [“Whatever wrong one might have committed some time back and has been hiding will eventually come into the open.” or “The truth will always find its way out.”] It is important for people to come out into the open and “confess their sins” for the process to go forward. For some, it may just be enough for perpetrators to come into the open and apologize for the wrong they did. The mere fact that someone has acknowledged guilt can be an important part of healing [group of youths]. iii. Institutional reform • “Indlel’ampholisa lama CIO enza ngayo angani bahlala kwelabo ilizwe hatshi kuleli esikilo. Benza santando benganakile lutho.” [“The police and the Central Intelligence Organization have become a law unto themselves. Whatever they want to do to whomever, they do without fear.”] • “Akusela lutho olusebenzayo. Lanxa ungonelwa ngumuntu uye emapholiseni utshelwa ukuthi uhambe uyebuya lomuntu wakhona.” [“Nothing works any more in this country. Even if someone commits a crime against you, you’re told to go and bring the culprit to the Taking Transitional Justice to the People – Outreach Report 101