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Lasting solution to Zim political conflicts needed - Heal Zimbabwe Trust
07 Jun 2015 at 08:36hrs | Views
A Civic group Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) has produced a working paper which emphasizes on the need for a lasting solutions to the current political conflicts bedeviling the political parties thereby disturbing peace in the country.
The Trust said search for lasting peace in Zimbabwe is central to the country's community development processes.
"However, local rural communities remain politically divided, economically disempowered and socially fragmented as the governance crisis persists," said the Trust.
"The national transitional justice processes on the other hand, are yet to commence as the current Government drags its feet to complete the unfinished reform agenda; fully implement the new constitution adopted in 2013 and answering to the people's calls to address the impact of the past conflicts. These will aid in building lasting peace at the local and national levels"
The Trust said in its findings it noted that the conflict issues include.
Political labelling or categorisation, Partisan distribution of aid (farming inputs in particular), Illegal encroachment and arbitrary dispossession of land, Power dynamics within communities are skewed in favour of Zanu-PF party structures and the elected officials - mainly councillors. They control the distribution of resources and are also able to control local community life through the use of violence and coercion, and Traditional leaders' behaviour is also negatively affecting their supposed neutral role in communal lands stewardship, conflicts prevention, mitigation and transformation.
"However, to build strong peace-building structures and foundations, the local communities prefer working with traditional leaders and church leaders compared to other structures involving politics," said the Trust.
The Trust said search for lasting peace in Zimbabwe is central to the country's community development processes.
"However, local rural communities remain politically divided, economically disempowered and socially fragmented as the governance crisis persists," said the Trust.
The Trust said in its findings it noted that the conflict issues include.
Political labelling or categorisation, Partisan distribution of aid (farming inputs in particular), Illegal encroachment and arbitrary dispossession of land, Power dynamics within communities are skewed in favour of Zanu-PF party structures and the elected officials - mainly councillors. They control the distribution of resources and are also able to control local community life through the use of violence and coercion, and Traditional leaders' behaviour is also negatively affecting their supposed neutral role in communal lands stewardship, conflicts prevention, mitigation and transformation.
"However, to build strong peace-building structures and foundations, the local communities prefer working with traditional leaders and church leaders compared to other structures involving politics," said the Trust.
Source - Byo24News
