The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission chairperson on Conflict Prevention and Non-recurrence thematic committee, Dr Tinashe Rukuni says polarisation in the country is curtailing the commissions operations.
Speaking during a peace and social cohesion dialogue, Dr Rukuni said existing cultural dynamics in the country had affected the national agenda of oneness.
“We are experiencing challenges revolving around polarisation mainly, the country seems to be heavily polarized and divided along partisan and our operations are greatly affected by that. We are also experiencing challenges to do with ethnic disputes and perceptions of cultural difference. There is a lack of common appreciation on the cultural dynamics that exist in the country and that has been a key factor affecting central cohesion on the national agenda of building one nation one people.” said Dr Rukuni.
War veterans’ national chairperson, Christopher Mutsvangwa weighed in saying in an independent society there was nothing wrong in diverse opinions.
“It’s inevitable that once you get a stage to be free, to be democratic to express yourself to be independent, that’s the purpose of actually being free to have diversity of opinions. There is nothing wrong to have diversity of opinions. The problem starts when diversity of opinions becomes antagonistic where we begin to disagree on what are the common tenets which should move the country forward that’s then becomes the basis of the difficulties which the country has been having particularly in the last two decades.
“They stem from the failings of the rulers, we felt (as war veterans) that certain things were not done right by the last administration of the country the first republic and we had to again appeal to the nation to move the country forward in a glorious show of disciplined expression of anger but hope the people of Zimbabwe removed the geriatric who was our ruler who was now subject to the whims of interlopers from nowhere.
“This just underscores that people with a heavy conscience about where Zimbabwe should go had a role coming back again in 2017. We are hoping that in the aftermath of 2017 there can be a reaching out, we reach out to each other and rebuild the consensus which then can make Zimbabwe move forward the ultimate goal is to have a prosperous Zimbabwe.” said Mutsvangwa.
