For Immediate release: 

We, the undersigned Civil Society Organisations, have agreed to reorganise ourselves into a non-partisan loose coalition of Civil Society Organisations that are promoting genuine debate on historical experiences  and current developments  that are pertinent to the Matabeleland region.

It is in this spirit that we disassociate ourselves with the Matabeleland Collective as the   grouping has derailed from its original values of  accountable leadership, acknowledgement of equality, inclusivity and autonomy amongst its members. 

Over the last nine months, the undersigned Civil Society Organisations have, with little success, explored all available avenues of conflict resolution within the Matabeleland Collective. This was being done with the hope that these internal processes will assist in driving the collective back to its original mandate and structure. Regardless of all such noble efforts, 

a)     Decision making with the Matabeleland Collective continues to be limited to a few self-appointed individuals even though the impact of such decisions affects all the members. 

b)    There have been no genuine efforts towards dealing with concerns, by members, on the alleged captureof the Matabeleland Collective by partisan forces existing outside it. 

c)     There was no consensus that the Matabeleland Collective must be formally registered as an organization yet there are advanced attempts to do so. The Matabeleland Collective was formed as a loose coalition of like-minded organizations and there was never an agreement to formally register it as an organization. 

Consequently, the undersigned organisations have resolved to alternatively form the Matabeleland Forum and commit themselves to the pursuit of a genuine engagement on the issues raised in the Compedium, in particular:

a)     A genuine process of truth recovery, healing, justice and reparation for those communities and individuals affected by the Gukurahundi Genocide. This should be a truly consultative process involving all the partners and all those affected. 

b)    The full implementation of devolution of power as contained in the constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

In pursuit of a genuinely inclusive leadership process, the Matabeleland Forum commits itself to a monthly rotating, institution based leadership and issue based programming. 

List of Civil Society Organisations that are forming the Matabeleland Forum

1. Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association
2. Centre for Innovation and Technology 
3. Christian Legal Society 
4. Community Youth Development Trust 
5. Dumiso Dabengwa Foundation
6. Emthonjeni Women’s Forum
7. Habakkuk Trust 
8. Ibhetshu LikaZulu
9. Masakhaneni Trust 
10. National Youth Development Trust 
11. South Western Region Gender Network
12. Tree of Life 
13. Ukuthula Trust 
14. Victory/ Siyanqoba Trust 
15. Women’s Institute for Leadership Development 
16. Women’s Media For Development Foundation 
17. Zimbabwe Christian Alliance 

The End.