OCTOBER 2019
commits to providing support and opportunities for the
empowerment of the affected individuals and communities.
Recently, in the Standard on 30 June 2019, the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum (2019) published a list of 28 victims
who are owed over USD100 000 in damages by the government
of Zimbabwe. Such victims still hope to find support from the
NPRC. Many survivors and victims are having to depend on the
benevolence of non-state actors. The Briefing highlighted to the
NPRC that it is important that it be seen to be supporting victims.
The NPRC was encouraged to publicize any such interventions
so that victims can make use of them. The Zimbabwe Human
Rights Commission has been generous enough to provide a
Complaints Handling Mechanism via their website. This could
be one option for the NPRC.
The NPRC’s Secretariat
The NTJWG welcomed the new additions to the NPRC
Secretariat. To get the new members up to speed, the NPRC
convened an induction session in Nyanga from 7 to 10 August
2019. Continued updates on the capacity of the Commission
will be welcome. According to the Commission’s strategy, the
priority of this pathway will be to strengthen the operational,
institutional and human capacities of the NPRC. For the NPRC to
achieve its mandate, there is no doubt that it will require
substantial amounts of resources including time, money, human
intellect. The NTJWG commends that the Executive Secretary
and the other departmental staff are now in place, enabling the
NPRC to roll-out its five-year strategic plan. This staff structure
could as well be publicized including a dedicated page on the
website to give the NPRC a visible face as the peoples’
commission.
Liaison with Stakeholders
According to the NPRC Strategy (2018), the NPRC recognizes
active numerous peace actors, especially at the community
level. This shows existing and ongoing projects, programs and
activities, which may already use the same strategies that the
Commission might also employ. NTJWG has attended some of
these engagements. The NTJWG acknowledged its nomination
to the Victim Support Committee. However, the NTJWG
highlighted that it is adequately represented by one of its
stakeholders the Counselling Service Unit (CSU) with wealth of
knowledge and experience in working with survivors.
ensuring that they do not end being associated with some
notorious perpetrator groups. NTJWG has received some
concerns about the fact that some political parties in the
Midlands have infiltrated the committees and survivors seem not
so comfortable to participate and the NPRC was encouraged to
investigate the issue. NTJWG recommends an information
briefing on the Peace Committees – what are they, how are they
composed, role and structure. The issue of inclusion of survivors
remains key. Placing victims and survivors at the center of this
work also requires ensuring that victim’s rights and views are
fully respected in the implementation of the transitional justice
process (Guiding Principles for TJ Policy and Practice in
Zimbabwe, 2015: 20). This includes the use of victim-sensitive
procedures that guarantee the victim's safety and dignity and the
development of specific capacities to assist, support and protect
victims and witnesses (U.N, 2010:6). The NPRC shed more light
on the establishment of the PPCs indicating the intention to have
a national peace committee cascading down to the PPCs then
other peace committees at district, ward and village level.
NPRC Role in National Dialogue
Stakeholders have joined the call for inclusive dialogue. NTJWG
noted that the NPRC had started consultations on a framework
for national dialogue. The NTJWG chairperson expressed
concern over the fact that it appears this noble initiative has
stopped and the NPRC is now only focusing on POLAD and
requested clarification of this issue. The Chairperson of the
NTJWG shared with the NPRC the guiding principles, virtues
and values for an effective national dialogue. Recently,
stakeholder expressed concern at the exclusive nature of the
POLAD and wondered if the NPRC as the co-chair agreed with
this exclusion. NTJWG has over the time called for an inclusive
national dialogue.
Conclusion
The NTJWG would like to congratulate the
NPRC for work it has embarked on beginning
Julyinto October this year. The NTJWG hopes
that the NPRC takes into consideration the
Working Group’s recommendations and
concerns around its work. The NTJWG looks
forward to continuously engage and work closely
Inclusion of Survivors in Provincial
with the Commission to build public
Peace Committees (PPCs)
confidence.The NTJWG remains committed to
The NTJWG acknowledged that the establishment of the
Provincial Peace Committees is an innovative intervention that
helps decentralize the work of the NPRC. It was however noted
that there is not much information on how these committees are
expected to function on the ground, strategies for inclusion and
supporting transitional justice in Zimbabwe and
hopes that actors concerned will address the
issues raised in this briefing with urgency.
Suite 4, Number 1 Raleigh Street, Harare, Zimbabwe. Tel:+263 242 770170. Email: info@ntjwg.org.zw
www.ntjwg.org.zw
REF PS09/2019NTJWG