In an effort to foster engagement between Parliament and Independent Commissions, SAPST facilitated a workshop between the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. This is in line with SAPST’s programme that supports meetings between independent commissions supporting democracy and human rights and relevant portfolio committees to discuss topical issues that fall within the purview of those commissions. The objective of the programme is to address the current challenge of the commissions failing to account fully to Parliament on how they are executing their mandate. Some of the key resolutions from the meeting are as follows;
- The Office of the Minister was engaged and the NPRC Annual Reports for 2018 and 2019 have been tabled in Parliament and the Annual Reports for 2018 and 2019 are currently being debated in Parliament.`
- The Commission has engaged Traditional Leaders from Mashonaland West Province with specific emphasis on the development of our own indigenous knowledge systems on peace, healing and reconciliation. The Commission has also engaged Academics in the area such as Dr Maredza, an expert in indigenous knowledge systems on peace, healing and reconciliation
- The Commission has partnered with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and the Department of Museums and National Monuments of Zimbabwe culminating in the development of a Draft Policy on Exhumations and Reburials. Collaborations with the Universities is pending legislative frameworks on Exhumations which would require forensic expertise.
- The Commission is now mainstreaming issues of Gender and Diversity in all its programs in order to ensure that the needs of all groups in the country are comprehensively addressed.
