EDITORIAL Zimbabwe's Legacy of Unspoken Truths On the International Day of Truth “There is no way of dealing with the past without telling the truth.” Commissioner Chekenyere, NTJWG-NPRC Brieng, 15 March, 2018. The National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning gross human rights violations and the dignity of victims. On 21 December, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. This is a tribute to the legacy and memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assassinated on March 24, 1980. Archbishop Romero was assassinated for speaking out against the increasingly savage nature of government repression of marginalized peasants in El Salvador and called upon the state to end the violence against the voiceless and vulnerable in the society. The day has also been set aside to honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice and to pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to and lost their lives in, their struggle to promote and protect human rights for all. 15 MARCH 2018 The Day of Truth comes at a time when Zimbabwe has just enacted the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Act operationalising the NPRC. Among the 10 functions of the NPRC listed in section 252 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, subsection (c) mandates the NPRC “to bring about national reconciliation by encouraging people to tell the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and the provision of justice.” This function captures comprehensively the truth-seeking mandate of the NPRC, which inevitably goes hand-in-glove with justice, reparations and rehabilitation of survivors. These are the ingredients of an authentic reconciliation process. The NTJWG welcomes the national peace and reconciliation process with great hope and seeks to engage the various actors with the desire to make Zimbabwe's reconciliation journey a success. On the occasion of the International Day for the Right to the Truth, NTJWG acknowledges that Zimbabwe is haunted by a legacy of unspoken and unacknowledged truths Suite 4 Number 1 Raleigh Street Harare info@ntjwg.org.zw www.ntjwg.org.zw