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Government should speed up the Operationalisation of the NPRC
19 Oct 2016 at 07:04hrs | Views
Heal Zimbabwe has expressed concerns over the snail pace the operationalisation of the NPRC is taking.
The organisation said it is now more than 3 years since the formation of the NPRC but to date the independent commission has not started executing its duties of promoting national peace, healing and reconciliation.
"It is disturbing that the Government is not prioritising the need for national healing and reconciliation in the country evidenced by the recent utterances by Vice President Phekezela Mphoko at the funeral of the late National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Chairperson, Cyril Ndebele last week. In his address, VP Mphoko highlighted that the NPRC's top priority for now was to address issues of birth certificates for victims of the Gukurahundi. HZT believes that the Government is not being sincere as issues of birth certificates should have been its priority 25 years ago," Heal Zimbabwe said.
"Heal Zimbabwe notes that there is need to open up the debate on the Gukurahundi atrocities so as to allow meaningful national healing and reconciliation in Zimbabwe. The recent efforts by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Jonathan Moyo to rebury his father who was killed during the Gukurahundi massacres is testimony that this dark historical epoch needs serious redress. This also goes on to show that Gukurahundi is an issue that the government must address urgently."
The trust said instead of skirting on the debate on national healing with rehearsed precision, VP Mphoko as the Minister responsible for national healing must ensure that government takes steps that prove its seriousness on the need for the attainment of national healing and reconciliation.
"In addition, the findings of the Chihambakwe and Dumbutshena commission of inquiry must be publicized to also feed into the process of national healing. The NPRC must also complement Government's efforts by fulfilling its constitutional mandate of encouraging people to tell the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and the provision of justice," said the trust.
The organisation said it is now more than 3 years since the formation of the NPRC but to date the independent commission has not started executing its duties of promoting national peace, healing and reconciliation.
"It is disturbing that the Government is not prioritising the need for national healing and reconciliation in the country evidenced by the recent utterances by Vice President Phekezela Mphoko at the funeral of the late National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Chairperson, Cyril Ndebele last week. In his address, VP Mphoko highlighted that the NPRC's top priority for now was to address issues of birth certificates for victims of the Gukurahundi. HZT believes that the Government is not being sincere as issues of birth certificates should have been its priority 25 years ago," Heal Zimbabwe said.
The trust said instead of skirting on the debate on national healing with rehearsed precision, VP Mphoko as the Minister responsible for national healing must ensure that government takes steps that prove its seriousness on the need for the attainment of national healing and reconciliation.
"In addition, the findings of the Chihambakwe and Dumbutshena commission of inquiry must be publicized to also feed into the process of national healing. The NPRC must also complement Government's efforts by fulfilling its constitutional mandate of encouraging people to tell the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and the provision of justice," said the trust.
Source - Byo24News
