Own Correspondent|The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission will this Saturday be launching its 21 outreach programme that will kick start its venturing into the communities to hear on conflict issues that befell the country.
According to a state media report, the 21-day outreach programme includes the strategic priorities for 2019 such as public hearings for healing and reconciliation, mechanisms for early detection of conflicts, conflicts, national dialogue facilitation, setting up of peace committees, evidence based legislative and policy recommendations.
Others are key thematic areas which include, complaints handling mechanisms, victim support mechanism, truth telling and truth seeking mechanism, healing, reconciliation and rehabilitation strategy, research and knowledge management strategy.
Highlighting structures in which Zimbabweans can participate for a broad based and inclusive national healing, reconciliation and peace building process are some of the issues to be covered.
Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday, NPRC chairman Justice Selo Masole Nare encouraged the public to participate in this process that will precede the truth seeking, truth telling and public hearings.
“Between April 15 and 16, we will be in Mashonaland East, April 23 and 28 in Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands, April 29 and 30 in Mashonaland Central, May 2 and 4 in Harare and Mashonaland West, May 6 and 7 in Masvingo, May 8 and 10 in Manicaland and on May 14 and 15 in Bulawayo,” he said.
The commission met Government officials, traditional leaders, churches, arts and cultural organisations, civil society, business, academia, persons with disabilities, women and youth, among others.
President Mnangagwa signed the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill into law in January, which operationalised the commission that was appointed in 2016.
The Act provided for the functions, powers, operations and removal from office of the members of the Commission, manner of conducting investigations and staffing of the Commission, among others.
The NPRC was established under Sections 251 to 253 of the Constitution to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation, to develop programmes to promote national healing, unity and peaceful conflict resolution.
Section 252 of the Constitution states the NPRC’s functions were to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation.
President Mnangagwa assigned Vice President Kembo Mohadi to be in charge of the Peace and Reconciliation portfolio as a show of his administration’s seriousness to dealing with the issue.