1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background to the Stakeholders Conference on Transitional Justice Principles Zimbabwean transitional justice stakeholders have worked tirelessly for the past three decades in search of justice for victims of past violations. These efforts included a diligent search for truth regarding past grave breaches of human rights. In this area we nd such efforts by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) and the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) in Breaking the Silence (Archive.org, 2015) regarding the Gukurahundi Massacres. Others have been involved in litigating on behalf of victims against perpetrators who in many cases are the state or its proxies. These are such organisations as Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, CCJPZ, Amnesty International, Legal Resources Foundation, Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association among many other brave advocates of justice from the private sector. In litigating against powerful perpetrators, stakeholders have in the process won compensation for victims in some cases, giving a sense of justice to affected families and individuals. Human Rights Defenders themselves have been subjected to unlawful arrests, threats and harassment as the perpetrators try to criminalise the struggle for accountability. Criminalisation has become a force of habit for some of the state actors. (Petras, 2015) Other stakeholders have worked closely with victims in providing psycho-social support in times of trauma. In this area, such organisations as Nokuthula Trust, Grace to Heal, Counseling Services Unit, Masakhaneni Projects, Tree of Life, Masvingo Counseling Trust and many others have provided accompaniment to victims struggling to come to terms with their reality and trying to regain their dignity. These efforts are in line with the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, which state that Zimbabwe HUMAN RIGHTS NGO Forum 7