c. The civil service • Thorough reform of the civil service is needed to ensure that the dignity of institutions that serve the public is restored [government employees]. Pejorative language used by members of the public about the teaching profession is of concern to the profession [government employees]. • There is an urgent need to reform the electoral system to ensure that violence will never again visit Zimbabwe [political activists]. d. The electoral system • “Toyi-toying and singing breed political animosity.” There is no room for sloganeering with hate speech content, which should be punishable under the law. The laws governing the conduct of elections must show zero tolerance of political violence and offenders must be punished. The law must provide measures of ensuring that there is no vote-buying. The electoral laws must aim to create a culture of peace and tolerance, not only during election time but all the time [political activists]. iii. Rehabilitation of victims • Victims of past abuses require rehabilitation [youths, women’s group and political activists]. The youths stand as a stigmatized group, carrying the majority of the political sins, which the leadership of the country is accused of committing. They have been made to participate in political violence while no economic benefit accrued to their side. Schools closed down, industries closed down, and the youths remain vulnerable to the economic hardships. The government must consider ways of rehabilitating the youths and their families. Counselling may be a first step towards healing the young generation [youths]. iv. Reparations • It is important to have a reparations programme for the victims of past abuses [women’s group and group of youths]. • The government must help jump-start women and youths back into the core of economic activity by providing them with financial assistance. The government must also ensure that there is a youth policy to co-ordinate the youths’ return into the core of governance. The youths must be involved directly in governance [women’s group and group of youths]. • The youths were abused in an extreme way. Any mechanism that does not provide for reasonable compensation cannot achieve the goal of healing [one participant]. • There is need to build an inclusive spirit, inclusive not only in the political sense but also in the social sphere [group of political activists]. v. Accountability • The law must regain its teeth and those who commit offences must be held accountable. • The police force has failed to uphold the principle of accountability by setting free those guilty of terrorizing villagers [women’s group]. • Law breakers must be punished immediately. “Justice must not be delayed” [group of village heads]. 122 Taking Transitional Justice to the People – Outreach Report