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Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is set to be reconstituted following the expiry of the tenure of the Justice Selo Nare-led commission.

Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has published an advertisement calling on the public to nominate persons to be considered for appointment as members of the Commission.

In terms of the Constitution, Parliament submits 12 successful candidates after holding public interviews and the President will appoint eight from the list given to him.

But the current process does not affect the chairperson, Justice Nare, as his term of office still subsists.

“The Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) of the Parliament of Zimbabwe is mandated, in terms of sections 237 and 251 of the Constitution, to nominate candidates for appointment by His Excellency, the President, to serve as Commissioners on the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission as provided for in Chapter 12, Part 6, of the Constitution,” reads a notice published by Parliament last week.

“Vacancies will arise in the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission on the 23rd February 2021, on the expiry of the five-year term of the current Commissioners.

“Accordingly, the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders is hereby calling on the public to nominate persons to be considered for appointment to the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.

“Members of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission must be chosen for their integrity and their knowledge and understanding of, and experience in, mediation, conciliation, conflict prevention and management, post-conflict reconciliation or peace building.”

In terms of Section 252 of the Constitution, some of the functions of the NPRC is to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation, develop and implement programmes to promote national healing, unity and cohesion in Zimbabwe and the peaceful resolution of disputes, 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.

Other functions include developing procedures and institutions at a national level to facilitate dialogue among political parties, communities, organisations and other groups, in order to prevent conflicts and disputes arising in the future, develop programmes to ensure that persons subjected to persecution, torture and other forms of abuse receive rehabilitative treatment and support, receive and consider complaints from the public and to take such action in regard to the complaints as the Commission considers appropriate, among others.

Parliament has set December 4, 2020 as the deadline to receive submission of the names.

Section 320 of the Constitution precludes the following persons from appointment; Members of Parliament, councillors, members of provincial or metropolitan councils, members of local authorities and members of Government controlled entities.

Commissioners must not, in the exercise of their functions, act in a partisan manner, further the interests of any political party or cause, prejudice the lawful interests of any political party or cause, or violate the fundamental rights or freedoms of any person.