News / Local
Only 110 attend Victoria Falls NPRC meeting
16 Apr 2016 at 11:58hrs | Views
Only 110 people attended the April, 14th 2016, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Bill public hearings in Victoria Falls much to the complaints by the Heal Zimbabwe Trust that the meeting was a big joke.
The hearings are part of the National Assembly's public consultations on the national healing and reconciliation legislation. The countrywide consultations are taking place between 11th and 20th of April 2016.
"The public hearing in Victoria Falls had 110 participants and Honourable Jessie Majome together with Honourable Dorothy Ndlovu did well to deal with the language barrier which saw them unpacking the bill in Shona and Ndebele. They both apologised that the bill could not get to the people before the hearings. The two Legislators also urged the public to freely make contributions and assured them that what they say in meetings called for by Parliament cannot be used against them," said the trust.
Participants at the meeting said the independence of the Commission is not provided for by the bill and this makes the Commission subject to the ruling political party considering that the Minister for National Healing and Reconciliation is a political appointee
They also said parliament was supposed to translate the bill into Ndebele for easy understanding, government should tell people why healing is needed in the nation and promote truth telling, the bill does not mention the periods to be covered by the NPRC and which cases it will address, Minister should not appoint NPRC secretariat and government lacks sincerity on the need for healing and reconciliation and the bill fails to acknowledge that there were mass murders, killings and atrocities.
Partiocipants said parliament should have publicised the bill and there is need to decentralise the NPRC, the process of healing should start as far as first Chimurenga, the bill gives the Minister too much power and the NPRC should be led by people who are under 70 years, no former state security personnel should be employed by the NPRC and bill should be clear on the 10 year tenure of the NPRC and the bill should clearly speak about the Gukurahundi,the bill is silent on the need for compensation
The hearings are part of the National Assembly's public consultations on the national healing and reconciliation legislation. The countrywide consultations are taking place between 11th and 20th of April 2016.
"The public hearing in Victoria Falls had 110 participants and Honourable Jessie Majome together with Honourable Dorothy Ndlovu did well to deal with the language barrier which saw them unpacking the bill in Shona and Ndebele. They both apologised that the bill could not get to the people before the hearings. The two Legislators also urged the public to freely make contributions and assured them that what they say in meetings called for by Parliament cannot be used against them," said the trust.
They also said parliament was supposed to translate the bill into Ndebele for easy understanding, government should tell people why healing is needed in the nation and promote truth telling, the bill does not mention the periods to be covered by the NPRC and which cases it will address, Minister should not appoint NPRC secretariat and government lacks sincerity on the need for healing and reconciliation and the bill fails to acknowledge that there were mass murders, killings and atrocities.
Partiocipants said parliament should have publicised the bill and there is need to decentralise the NPRC, the process of healing should start as far as first Chimurenga, the bill gives the Minister too much power and the NPRC should be led by people who are under 70 years, no former state security personnel should be employed by the NPRC and bill should be clear on the 10 year tenure of the NPRC and the bill should clearly speak about the Gukurahundi,the bill is silent on the need for compensation
Source - Byo24News
