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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent

THE National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has established a Matabeleland South provincial peace committee as it seeks to promote national healing, unity and cohesion in the country.

The Matabeleland South Provincial Peace Committee consisting of various stakeholders was launched in Gwanda last week.

The committee is chaired by NPRC commissioner Lesley Ncube, who is deputised by Pastor Phathisiwe Dube and Miss Sakhile Ndlovu. 

Other committee members are representatives from the office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, ZRP, Provincial Administrator’s office, Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement, the pastor’s fraternity, academics, political parties, war veterans, people with disabilities, women’s organisations, youths, civil society organisations and the business community.

Speaking at the launch, Comm Ncube said the committees were going to facilitate dialogue within communities.

Comm Ncube said some of the pertinent issues that were raised in Matabeleland South include Gurukurahundi disturbances, underdevelopment, challenges in obtaining crucial documents such as birth certificates, fight over natural resources such as mining claims and unfair distribution of resources. 

He said the provincial committees were going to be used by the NPRC to facilitate and intervene in national healing.

In his speech, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland South, Cde Abednico Ncube, urged the commission to ensure that peace committees are also formulated at district, ward and village level to ensure that communities are fully involved in the process of national healing.

“The establishment of this peace committee is well in line with the desire to ensure that we facilitate an infrastructure to address conflicts in our province so that we transition Zimbabwe from a conflictual past to a sustainable, harmonious and peaceful society through generations. I’m confident that the peace builders here are going to be equal to the task,” he said.

—@DubeMatutu