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Nqobile  Bhebhe, Senior Reporter

GOVERNMENT  is committed to improving public service delivery, justice and upholding national unity, peace and reconciliation as they are  building blocks for achieving equitable and sustainable national development, a cabinet minister has said.

Demonstrating such commitment, in the fourth quarter of 2022, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) received 255 complaints and finalised 186 cases, while 69 are at various stages of investigations.

Presenting the NPRC post-Cabinet report yesterday, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services, Jenfan Muswere said in a bid to improve peace and national cohesion, 73 percent of conflict incidences received were resolved.

The minister said conflict cases encompassed land and boundary disputes, malicious damage to property, assault, rape and unfair trial and detention.

“Finally, under the Governance TWG, the Cabinet is informing the nation that the Second Republic seeks to improve public service delivery and justice and to uphold national unity, peace and reconciliation as building blocks for achieving equitable and sustainable national development.

“Out of the targeted 95.5 percent case clearance rate for 2022, the rate achieved was 98 percent in 2022, compared to 95 percent in 2021. Peace Committees were established in 33 percent of the country’s 70 districts during the Fourth Quarter of 2022, that is, in Buhera, Bulawayo, Harare, Hwange, Gweru, Kariba, Masvingo, Mutare, Mutoko, Nkayi, Lupane, Matopo, Tsholotsho, Guruve, Mutasa, Nkulumane and Goromonzi districts,” he said.

The NPRC is a constitutional body formed as a mechanism for resolving past conflicts and building national and sub-national capacities that guarantee a future of peace and reconciliation.

It was established under sections 251 to 253 of the Constitution to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation, to develop programmes to promote national healing, unity and peaceful conflict resolution.

Soon after his arrival in Bulawayo yesterday, President Mnangagwa told scores of Zanu-PF supporters at the Joshua Mqabuko International Airport that Zimbabweans are a peace-loving people and should always uphold peace, avoiding incidents of violence during election campaigns.

 “We don’t want violence and we must act peacefully because we are going to win resoundingly in the harmonised elections. You may be provoked by the opposition, just say, ‘no to violence’ and we must vote for our party.”