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Zimbabweans yearn for leadership to stir national healing
Tichanzii Gandanga, Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR)
July 12, 2010

Under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) article 7, the coalition government agreed to promote equality, national healing, cohesion and unity through ensuring equal treatment, creation of an environment of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans. This was to ensure that all citizens are treated with dignity and decency irrespective of age, gender, race, and ethnicity, place of origin or political affiliation.

Two years down the line, national healing and reconciliation remains but an article, a piece of paper. Two years after, it is difficult to reconcile the mandate bestowed upon the organ of national healing and the actual unfolding events in most communities particularly in the rural areas.

The roadmap to the carrying out of a credible and effective national healing process has remained in oblivion since the coming into existence of the coalition government despite the agreement between the parties that they shall stir, ''the setting up of a mechanism to properly advise on what measures might be necessary and practicable to achieve national healing.''

Unfortunately, the events that have shaped the vital issues to do with national healing, integration and cohesion during the life span of the coalition government have equated to a ship that is in the middle of nowhere, driven by tides with no captain. The stewards to the ministry have been suffering from hysteric amnesia and they have not recovered to a point of clarity in what is expected from them to delivering products to the nation.

The most characteristic role that they have played to exception is relegating themselves to public relations officers deployed by the principals to manage the general public and watering down the demanding voices of victims of political violence calling for restorative and retributive justice and readdress.

Instead of serving the general populace, the organ has devoted to serving the principals of the coalition government who are their bosses, where their bread is buttered no wonder why people in the grassroots are frustrated by the existence of the organ. Those who bore the brunt of the scars from the recent reign of anarchy of 2008 bloody elections have no kind words how the taxpayer's money is being spent towards the comfort of ministers of the organ.

Being part of the government, the organ has not done anything to inspire public recognition towards campaigning on behalf of the electorate in vital issues like acknowledging the vast victims of political violence born out of the 2008 elections. Millions of innocent lives have forcibly either turned into Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) or driven outside the boarders due to the harsh economic and political terrain over the last decade.

The coalition government is in denial. Any information about evidence incriminating perpetrators of violence and human rights crimes is treated with the most severe secrecy to the measure of being state secrets. The classification of information to bar the public from access has stifled the debate around a credible transparent national healing, built upon accounting for the past wrongs through transitional justice and truth telling. Even the arms of the state and government like the judiciary and the law enforcement have been coerced and complicity in concealing information incriminating people.

Our environment continues to be sour, plugged by high charged political tension and mistrust splitting communities along partisan lines .attributable to the lack of renewal of institutions and most important state structures. All this is happening at the backdrop of organ and the coalition government to create a conducive environment for tolerance and national healing. The organ has been a bystander to the accusations of a partisan police force that has been slammed for undermining efforts to bring perpetrators of past wrongs. Worse still, impunity is still rampant and persistent.

In the absence of a clear action plan to stir the nation towards a process of healing, it is perplexing to note that one of the ministers to the organ has publicly announced that the healing process should be completed before the next elections. Healing is a deliberate effort that will take sincere commitment not window dressing not to mention the demands of resources, purpose and political will. Attempts to slip what happened in the past under the carpet by those who committed heinous crimes against humanity has exposed their lack of intent accounting for the past knowing pretty well that their hands are stained by blood of innocent souls. Predictably they have resorted to playing the defensive role to protect the skeletons in their closets.

The most antagonizing reality is not only the treacherous act of covering up for what is known publicly to have been done by known individuals, groups of people, institutions but the relentless attempt to feed the circle of violence and anarchy. The infrastructure of intimidation, violence and torture is still intact and oiled up to be unleashed for selfish ends that benefit small elite.

The crisis of visionary leadership besieging the organ of national healing needs to be resolved as a pre-requisite for the body to start posting measurable results to justify its existence. A clear mandate should be shared by the principals to the ministry and it has to sink that they are accountable to the electorate.

The People of Zimbabwe are arguably progressive and willing to play their role and actively participate in working towards national healing, peace building supported by credible structures and supportive mechanisms. They yearn for a leadership broader than political affiliation, ethnicity, and individual interest- to embrace the demands of the entire nation. Prevailing politics of our day shames our conscience- national events like the ongoing consultation outreach under the constitution making process have been heavily politicized by hungry power grabbing leaders who are blinkered to see beyond the horizon. Politics of manipulation will not stand the test of time. The news that the CIO is involved in manipulating the views of the people should be investigated!

We strongly forbid the act of persistent man made manufacture of calamities resulting in more causalities piling on the suspended cases of victims of political violence and other human rights abuses that are awaiting justice.

*The author survived an attempted murder in the run up to the June 2008 Elections.

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