Zimbabweans yet to reconcile, unite

A COALITION of Zimbabwe’s churches and civil society organisations the Church and Civil Society Forum (CCSF) is urging Zimbabweans to reconcile and build bridges of peace first in order for the southern African nation to achieve its developmental goals.
“Zimbabweans have no collective memory or narrative of their past,” CCSF cluster leader, Shastry Njeru noted Monday while addressing senior journalists in Harare at a media sensitisation meeting on the need for the country to quickly establish the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC).
“The media has a critical role to shape that collective narrative…in order to establish a reconciled society…the media has a definitive impact in achieving peace and justice…You (media) can build or destroy, you have the power…You (media) can mediate, dilute or provoke conflict,” Njeru added.
Two years after NPRC took over from the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration through the country’s new constitution the commission is yet to be operational as disturbing rumblings from the political gallery indicate that this might just be one of the many commissions that may fail to be established due to lack of government funding.
According to Section 251 of the new constitution, President Robert Mugabe was supposed to have appointed a chairperson and eight members to establish the NPRC soon after the adoption of the new constitution in June 2013.
The commission was to, among other things, ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation as well as promote national healing, unity and cohesion in Zimbabwe while encouraging peaceful resolution of disputes.
And without the commission CCSF fears that the country may never reconcile anytime soon as long as it fails to confront its haunting experiences of the past.