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The national healing process: Only the truth will set us free
Wisdom Katungu
September 01, 2009

The Zimbabwean political landscape has been highly polarized since the turn of the millennium and one of the priority issues for the inclusive government is to restore tolerance and build the bridge between Zimbabweans across the political divide. Article 7 of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), signed by the Zimbabwean political leaders on the 15th of September 2008, aims at promoting equality, national healing, cohesion and unity in the country. This proviso of the GPA "strives to create an environment of tolerance, respect among Zimbabweans and that all citizens are treated with dignity and decency irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, place of origin or political affiliation". A critical task that needs to be taken seriously by our shaky coalition government is the frank execution of the national healing process. However, judging by the chaos at the Harare International Conference Centre during the constitutional making conference and the recent rebuke of Arthur Mutambara by some members of the GNU for stating that the June 2008 election was a sham, then one wonders if the government is going to be able to embark on a true, meaningful, long lasting and just national healing process.

There are documented cases of politically motivated murders, torture, rape, arson, displacement, intimidation and other heinous acts during the 2002 election period and most recently during the March and June 2008 presidential plebiscite. However some of the violence has been condoned and in some instances the perpetrators and victims live within the same communities and one can guess how precarious such a situation is. The organ on national healing should focus on the restoration of trust, tolerance, respect for human rights, social order and more importantly respect for the principles of the rule of law among all Zimbabweans regardless of their status, beliefs or political affiliation, in the letter and spirit article 7 of the GPA. The taskforce on national healing has to also devise strategies aimed at fostering the spirit of coexistence among citizens through use of the justice delivery system, social institutions and other such techniques with the ultimate goal of attaining a peaceful and democratic society in order to shape the future.

The national healing process should not only be a process for political transition but must also provide an opportunity for addressing past human rights violations so as to build a future with its foundation based on veracity, reconciliation and justice. One of the fundamental tenets of post conflict healing is that those responsible for human rights abuses should be held responsible for their actions. If the perpetrators of human rights abuses are not held accountable for their actions the result will be false healing and that is very dangerous as the victims will continue to harbor intrinsic retributive motives which will explode once an opportune time presents itself. It is my hope that the organ on national healing will stick to its earlier plan of wide and inclusive consultations and meet church representatives, traditional leaders, trade union leaders, students, war veterans, civic organizations and also go to the grassroots to establish the opinions of the ordinary men and women on how they want the process to be conducted. Such a strategy provides the impetus for genuine healing, integration and reconciliation instead of the recently proclaimed 'three days of national healing- which most people in rural areas were not even aware of.

It was interesting to hear Minister John Nkomo, the co-chair of the national healing organ, in one of his speeches saying that the process would be focusing on the pre- and post-independence period, and would be followed by a programme in which the ministers will visit provinces to reinforce the spirit of national healing. This is quite commendable but I hope that justice should also be taken as one underlying component of this essential process for our nation. Historically, we have seen the transitional processes in post conflict Rwanda, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone and we have realized that effective integration and reconciliation should subsequently incorporate justice for those responsible for human rights abuses. This should also be the route that our national healing should process should take if we are to truly see a new Zimbabwean political dispensation. We are closing watching.

* Wisdom Katungu is a social analyst and independent political thinker based in Harare.

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