27 June 2023, HARARE - The Zimbabwe Peacebuilding Initiative (ZimPI) welcomes the President’s [Mnangagwa] message in Chipinge and in all his rallies to this day, calling upon Zimbabweans from all walks of life to embrace the prevailing peaceful environment, conducive to free and fair elections towards the 2023 Harmonised Elections.
ZimPI founding Chairperson, Senator Sekai Holland, who is also the former Co-Minister in the President’s Office in the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) during the Inclusive Government (2009-13) says the recent call by the President of Zimbabwe for Peace, Unity and Harmony made during the launch of Zanu PF campaign in Chipinge Saturday, is a call that must remind us to inculcate the values that we learn about in our families, in schools, our faith based organisations, in our churches, in our civil society workshops and in organised gatherings we are involved in daily, as we move to our country’s Harmonised Elections this coming August.
“We must reconnect ourselves to the traditional values of nurturing and promotion of an environment in our country today, where Justice and fairness to all, is the order of the day. These traditional beliefs and practices, were the basis for the liberation struggle to secure our 1980 independence.
“As citizens we must restore our traditional culture of tolerance, where hate speech is taboo, as is provocative behaviour. It is incumbent on us to behave in ways that induce and promote peaceful coexistence at all times, in all situations we find ourselves in.
“Justice and fairness to all and for all is an important prerequisite to achieving Peace. Where Peace prevails, the chances of positive development for all is achievable. With development, the goals of equality, harmony, cohesion in our country become a possibility and achievable in our home, in our communities and in our nation,” says Sen. Holland.
Sen. Holland urges Zimbabweans to shun actions that may trigger or promote violence. “Our appeal as ZimPI cuts across all divides in our society. This includes all. It is not limited to voters, political parties, civil society, traditional leaders, bureaucracy and the media only.”
ZimPI seeks to contribute to a safe, secure, happy, peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe anchored in sustainable peace following the traditional peace processes which remain active on the ground, through our Traditional Leaders. ZimPI contributes towards the mainstreaming of peacebuilding in regenerative community development programmes, with special attention to women, children, the youth, people living with disability, the vulnerable and members of minorities. ENDS.
