Zimpapers Logo

Freeman Razemba and Samantha Chipoyera
The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) will next week embark on awareness campaigns meant to support democracy and promote a culture of human rights.

NPRC’s mandate is to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation, social cohesion and unity.

In a statement, NPRC Commissioner Dr Geoffrey Chada said they will embark on a provincial dialogue starting with Mashonaland Central and then Matabeleland South.

“This is our first launch and we want to cover all the 10 provinces and the main aim is to tell the public our main objectives and mandate,” he said.

Dr Chada said the main mandate was to realise post-conflict justice, peace, healing and reconciliation.

“The NPRC is a temporary commission with a life span of 10 years,” he said.

“It is expected to complete its work within a 10-year period.”

Dr Chada said the commission’s operations and activities were expected to be documented in yearly reports, which should be submitted to Government.

He said the NPRC had a broad mandate as specified in Section 252 of the Constitution – to develop programmes to promote national healing, unity and cohesion in the country and the peaceful resolution disputes.

“Other roles are to bring about national reconciliation by encouraging people to tell the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and provision of justice; and to develop procedures and institutions at national level to facilitate dialogue among political parties, communities and organisations, in order to prevent conflicts and disputes arising in the future,” said Dr Chada.

“To develop programmes to ensure that victims of torture receive rehabilitative treatment support, to receive and reconsider complaints from the public and take action on the complaints and to develop mechanisms for early detection of potential conflicts and disputes and take preventive measures, are some of the commission’s mandates.

“The NPRC also seeks to do anything to prevent conflicts and promote peace, to conciliate and mediate disputes among communities, organisations and individuals and to recommend appropriate legislation.”

Early this month, the NPRC, which was given legal underpinning by the recent gazetting of the enabling law, said it would work hard to leave a legacy of unity, tolerance and national healing.

The eight-member commission, appointed in 2014 by former President Robert Mugabe, said its hands had been tied as it had not been gazetted into law, but it had been conducting some research.