NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE WORKING GROUP ZIMBABWE Working Group Reflects on the Year 2017 and the Transitional Justice Questions of the Day Taking Stock of Transitional Justice Progress On 15 December 2017, members of the National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG) met in Bulawayo to reflect on the progress made in 2017 in pursuit of its mandate of creating an inclusive space for transitional justice dialogue in Zimbabwe. In the afternoon, the group met with stakeholders from 9 organisations operating on transitional justice matters in Bulawayo were the 2017 Annual Report was released. rather for intensifying our engagement and demands. Whether one is content or not with the new arrangement, members emphasised that citizen engagement was critical. One member stated as follows: “We need not fall into the same trap as in 1980 when everyone said, well, 'We have a new government. Now it will take us there.' Well, it did not. As it stands, both government and the people of Zimbabwe remain insecure and the future remains uncertain necessitating an inclusive dialogue on a clear path for our nation.” Fidelity to Transitional Justice Principles Participants follow proceedings during the stakeholders meeting in Bulawayo The Changing Political Context At an ordinary annual reflective session chaired by NTJWG Deputy Chairperson Mr Paul Themba Nyathi, the group noted that the events of November 15, 2017 and the 'new arrangement' which followed aroused new transitional justice questions for Zimbabwe, while the old issues remain unresolved. “What do these new questions mean for our work?” asked Mr. Paul Themba Nyathi who chaired the meeting. Members noted that opinions and attitudes among stakeholders were deeply fractured raising the need for dialogue towards building consensus and ensuring that the transitional justice issues are not swept under the carpet but rather the dialogue is escalated to respond to the new questions. The Need for Renewed Dialogue This is not the time to fold arms, members stated, but Members noted that as thematic leaders, they could not take a position on the current arrangement without the involvement of organisations that mandated them. It was agreed that NTJWG will consult with stakeholders and issue a statement as soon as possible, reflecting the attitudes of stakeholders. Members agreed that transitional justice principles must never be compromised and it was important for the group to remain faithful to the vision of a peaceful, just, accountable and democratic society. Transitional justice demands of Zimbabweans that were not addressed remain a talking point and a cause for concern. Members noted that because of the long autocratic reign in Zimbabwe, many people had lost faith in leadership. “37 years of Mugabe rule lowered the bar of what some people expect from their government,” one member noted, “Such that for other people, anything that is not Mugabe goes. That is a dangerous attitude and history has proven that time and again.” This lack of faith in leadership can cause people to despair and get paralysed. The members agreed that it was essential to engage and facilitate more dialogue to ensure that the transitional justice dialogue takes 21 ANNUAL REPORT 2017