Court okays national healing consultations
The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is resuming consultations after the High Court dismissed an application by human rights campaigners seeking to interdict the commission from carrying out its duties pending the appointment of a chairperson.
High Court Judge, Justice Owen Tagu, last Friday threw out an application by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum seeking an order compelling President Emmerson Mnangagwa to appoint a substantive chairperson arguing that the commission was not fully constituted in terms of the Constitution.
The commission, which was appointed by former President Robert Mugabe, has been operating without a chairperson following the death of Mr Cyril Ndebele in October 2016.
NPRC commissioner Charles Masunungure told The Chronicle that the High Court had dismissed the Urgent Chamber application last Friday.
NPRC deputy chairperson, Mrs Lilian Chigwedere said the Commission would resume consultations next Monday countrywide.
“The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission shall be visiting the provinces of Zimbabwe to engage various stakeholders as part of the process leading to the National Convergence and Dialogue Conference followed by the Strategic Planning workshop,” said Mrs Chigwedere.
The Commission emphasised that it would be carrying out consultations and not hearings.
Mrs Chigwedere said hearings would only start later, after engaging stakeholders.
The commission first held consultations late last year and on Monday, there will be consultations in Gwanda, Matabeleland South and in Bindura, Mashonaland Central.
The consultations will continue the following day in Bulawayo before moving to Matabeleland North and Mashonaland West on February 26.
On February 28, the teams will be in the Midlands and Mashonaland East Provinces before rounding off in Masvingo and Manicaland on March 3.
Mrs Chigwedere said their consultations are meant to enhance stakeholder awareness of the NPRC, its mandate and functions.
The Commission said the consultative meetings should be inclusive and involve a very diverse set of voices.
The NPRC said political parties, war veterans, women, youth, people living with disabilities, academia, business, media, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, church organisations and Constitutional Commissions are invited to send a limited number of representatives to the consultative meetings.
“Persons putting on military or police uniform or political party regalia will not be allowed into the venues of meetings,” said Mrs Chigwedere.
The Constitution says the President must appoint the commission’s chairperson after consulting the Judicial Service Commission and the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders.
It also says the chairperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission must be a person who has been qualified for at least seven years to practice as a legal practitioner in Zimbabwe. — @AuxiliaK
The lawyer conceded and requested the judges to grant an appropriate order.
He then proposed to have the matter remitted to Zimsec for reconsideration.
“It is ideal for this court as the upper guardian of the children to consider the interest of the children,” said Mr Halimani. “It is the children’s interest at stake here and this court is the vanguard of the children’s rights.”
He said the action taken by Zimsec was mere reactionary and not based on good faith.
“They slept on duty and now want to cover for their bungling. It is an attempt to save face.”
Zimbabwe School Examinations Council last week ordered a resit of the examination on allegations that the paper leaked through social media.
In their application Messrs Mukomeka and Govhati are also suing Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavhima for breaching constitutional provisions by annulling the results. It is the parents’ argument that the minister acted beyond his authority of which the Act empowers, in Section 34, only the examinations board to annul examination results.
Meanwhile, Teachers’ associations yesterday said they have received reports from parents that some schools were hiring experts to ‘drill’ their children ahead of the resit and expressed concern over the developments.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Mr Takavafira Zhou called on the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to stop such practices.
“We received complaints that some schools are hiring people who call themselves examination experts to teach children for a fee in preparation for the English examination. This is totally unacceptable.
“It’s not only a burden on the parents but also a way of allowing cheating. Some of these people would have leaked examination papers before they visit schools and pick exactly what is in the examination paper,” said Mr Zhou.
He said some of these so called experts would be in connivance with the school authorities so that they record good results.
“Teaching should be left to the teachers. Those who want to teach should stay in the schools and stop using their tricks to get what is in the examination papers so that they help candidates to cheat. Such people should be arrested,” said Mr Zhou.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) president Mr Richard Gundane said schools should not be allowed to hire the so called experts.
“We’re yet to receive the reports as Zimta but if it’s happening in our schools the Government has to take action. This used to happen years back but it was banned. Schools would invite Zimsec examiners with experience as resource persons to coach candidates ahead of the examinations.