The Financial Gazette

Editor — Under the Global Political Agreement 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. 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 a fleeting illusion 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 rudderless ship.
The stewards in the ministry are suffering from hysteric amnesia. They have not recovered to a point of clarity on 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 political violence victims who are calling for restorative and retributive justice and redress.
Instead of serving the general populace, the organ is devoted to serving the principals of the coalition government.
Being part of the government, the organ has not done anything to inspire public recognition towards campaigning on behalf of the electorate on vital issues like acknowledging the vast victims of political violence born out of the 2008 elections.
Millions of innocent lives have forcibly been turned into either internally displaced persons or were driven outside the country because of the harsh economic and political terrain over the last decade.
The coalition government is in denial state. Any information about evidence incriminating perpetrators of violence and human rights crimes is treated with the most severe secrecy .
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 law enforcement have been coerced and complicity in concealing information incriminating guilty people.
Our environment continues to be sour, plugged by high charged political tensions and mistrust splitting communities along partisan lines attributable to the lack of renewal of institutions and most importantly State structures.
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 sweep what happened in the past under the carpet by those who committed heinous crimes against humanity has exposed on their part lack of intent accounting for the past knowing pretty well that their hands are stained with blood of innocent souls. Predictably, they have resorted to playing the defensive role to protect the skeletons in their closets.
The most saddening 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 and 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 the elite few.
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 politicised by politicians who are blinkered to see beyond the horizon. Politics of manipulation will not stand the test of time.
 

Tichanzii Gandanga

Restoration Of Human Rights

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