NPRC Comes up With Strategic Healing Document

By Lungelo Ndhlovu

Matabeleland South – The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has completed crafting its strategic document, paving the way for the commencement of peace and healing process in the country.

Speaking at an NPRC provincial peace-pledge signing ceremony in Bulawayo last Tuesday, NPRC commissioner, Leslie Ncube said once the document was refined the Commission would start gathering evidence from alleged perpetrators as well as exhume bodies of the victims of the atrocities who were buried in shallow graves.

“We have almost completed our strategic plan and validation process. Once we refine it, we will start summoning people regardless of who they are. No one is above the law. We will also deal with issues to do with exhumation,” said Ncube.

The commissioner said the Commission held several consultative meetings in the country’s 10 administrative provinces where people freely gave views on the direction which the Commission should follow.

“Generally, provinces differed on the approach to national healing. For example, people in Matabeleland South argue that the healing process should start with the Gukurahundi atrocities from 1983 to 1987. In Manicaland, the people there prioritise the Chiyadzwa killings while in Mashonaland the people there are most concerned about the political violence which occurred between 2000 and 2008,” said Ncube.

The commissioner said in Mashonaland West, the people were also concerned about the failure to get birth certificates for their children.

“A lot of children in Mashonaland do not have birth certificates. They argue that their children were impregnated by ZIPRA combatants who were operating there during the liberation struggle,” said the commissioner.

He also said that the Commission would set up offices in all the cities soon.

Representatives of political parties attended the peace pledge-signing ceremony.