We were never party to Panel of Elders

so-called “Panel of Elders” launched by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare recently.

In a statement yesterday, the Organ’s principal director, Mrs Sibusisiwe Zembe, said it was never part of the formation of the Panel of Elders.
“The Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration would like to disassociate itself from the process that led to a function launching the Panel of Zimbabwe Elders that is purportedly charged with the responsibility to stop violence in Zimbabwe in support of the ONHRI,” she said.

The Organ also dismissed claims by Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) executive director, Dr Leonard Kapungu that they had invited Vice President John Nkomo who is the chairman of Organ to officiate at the announcement of the panel.

“The ONHRI would like, however, to allude to the fact that last minute attempts to rope in the Organ by the executive director of CPIA were made through a meeting held between one of the ONHRI principals and Dr Kapungu. During the meeting, Dr Kapungu was advised on the need for extensive consultations and being inclusive in approach. Notable inconsistencies were then highlighted to Dr Kapungu,” she said.

The Organ said, Dr Kapungu ignored the advice and went ahead to invite VP Nkomo and other ministers to “give the key note address at the occasion of the launch of the Panel of Elders on that day”.
The statement added that the Organ formally wrote to the CPIA executive director advising him that it and the ministers would not be able to participate at the occasion.

Dr Kapungu is said to have then requested for an urgent meeting with VP Nkomo indicating that it was too late to cancel the launch, as the Sadc-NGOs had already paid for the expenses and that all invitations had been distributed.

“In view of the foregoing, it would suffice to assert that the chairman of the ONHRI could not have just made himself unavailable for this occasion for no good reason as insinuated, but the invitation was given serious consideration before it was declined.
“The turning down of the invitation was neither political nor intended to be a slight on those identified as elders, invited guests and Dr Kapungu himself. This was done in principle.”

The Organ also questioned the reasons and motives for rushing to establish and launch the panel of elders without having adequately consulted. “Adequate consultations and dialogue would have enabled the clarification of the following issues for transparency purposes: “Definition of what an elder is, since some of the people on the list cannot be defined as elderly, the identification and selection criteria, whether any consultations were under-taken with either organisations or communities, representation of provinces for a national outlook, gender representation, representation of special groups such as the physically challenged, the elderly, and the war veterans, the number of people to constitute the Panel of Elders among other related but important governance considerations.”

The Organ also reiterated that its mandate emanated from the GPA adding that: “Related peace building structures require the blessing of not only the ONHRI principals but that of the GPA principals as targeting one of the GPA principals would be inimical to the objective of building peace already underway.

“In view of the foregoing the ONHRI, has no objection to the existence of the Panel of Elders as long as it remains solely a board relevant to the operations of the CPIA which should not be misconstrued as a national peace structure.”
Zanu-PF has already rejected the Panel saying it is being used to pursue a regime change agenda.