Political violence and faceless perpetrators in Zimbabwe: Reconceptualising a peace building strategy

Abstract

Pre- and post-independence Zimbabwe has been marred by extreme political violence and gross human rights violations. This ranges from Chimoio and Nyadzonya massacres in the 1970s, the Gukurahundi massacres of the early 1980s and since 2000, unprecedented political violence that characterised elections in the country. Resultantly, Zimbabwe has witnessed peace-building processes and frameworks aimed at ending episodes of politically motivated violence. This paper analyses how peace-building frameworks can ensure lasting peace in Zimbabwe. It draws experience from previous peace processes in Zimbabwe. Data was gathered through interviews and desktop research. Purposive and snowball sampling were utilised for selection of 10 key informants and 50 victims of political violence from six provinces in Zimbabwe. The paper casts doubts on existing peace and reconciliation approaches that aim at achieving a ‘peaceful society” in a community where perpetrators remain faceless. Instead, the paper discusses an open peace-building process based on unmasking of perpetrators in an open dialogue platforms of victims and perpetrators, reparations and compensation and depoliticizing peace processes. It argues that although there are peace-building frameworks in the country, experiences from Zimbabwe points to opposite results. Calls by civil society, community and scholars to resolve underlying conflicts and achieve peace and justice have not translated into sustainable peace. This paper concludes that without an open peace-building process, there would be a danger of false peace and reconciliation.

Keywords

• Faceless perpetrators
• open peace-building process
• political violence
• sustainable peace
• Zimbabwe