Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is seeking legal guidance to establish how Amnesty granted to Gukurahundi perpetrators will affect the peace and reconciliation process.
When the Unity Accord was signed in 1987, Government granted Amnesty to alleged Gukurahundi perpetrators for the nation to move forward.
President Mnangagwa’s decision to encourage communities to speak out openly about the 1980s disturbances has seen Matabeleland region NPRC provincial peace committee members demanding to know how the commission will deal with the issue of Amnesty.
Yesterday, provincial peace committee members from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South held a meeting with the NPRC in Bulawayo and the issue of Amnesty was the most topical.
In an interview, NPRC Commissioner Patience Chiradza, who is in charge of the commission’s conflict prevention and non-recurrence, said the Amnesty issue was topical in their meeting as the public wants to know how it will affect the commission’s mandate.
She said the NPRC’s legal team is researching on the matter in a study that will also provide a list of those who were granted immunity.
Comm Chiradza said yesterday’s meeting was the first indaba involving peace committees as they seek to get guidance on what the commission’s priorities should be in the region.
“The other topical issue was around amnesties, how amnesties affect the work that the commission has now because there is a general feeling that because people have amnesty, the commission is not going to be effective,” said Comm Chiradza.
“We don’t have a list ourselves and it’s part of the work to say these were the people who were granted Amnesty that was given at this period and what it means.”
Comm Chiradza said peace committee members have a role to play in guiding the commission in terms of public hearings, truth telling, truth seeking and healing in the province.
She said prior to deployment of peace committees to their various stations, they will receive training from the NPRC.
During yesterday’s meeting, Bulawayo provincial peace committee member Mrs Mildred Sandi said the NPRC should come up with a position on individuals who are protected by the Amnesty.
“As we deliberated today there is issue of perpetrators who are protected by the law, through immunity which was granted where even if one is a perpetrator, legally nothing happens to them. When people out there hear that (about Amnesty) they are concerned as they have so much hope on NPRC to bring peace and reconciliation and deal with the Gukurahundi issue,” said Mrs Sandi.
Do we have two types of perpetrators, those in the community who can be brought to book or do we have the other perpetrator who is covered by immunity and what does it mean? So the NPRC has a task to look at those issues as people in this region have placed high hopes in them.” – @nqotshili.
Online Reporter