President Mnangagwa’s call for peace and harmony during the Chipinge rally and all his previous rallies, has been embraced by the Zimbabwe Peacebuilding Initiative (ZimPI).
ZimPI founding chairperson, Senator Sekai Holland, yesterday said calls for peace during the launch of the Zanu PF election campaign must remind everyone of the need to observe peace, which they were taught in the family, at school and churches, to ensure peaceful harmonised elections on August 23.
“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,” said Sen Holland, a former Co-Minister in the President’s Office in the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) during the inclusive Government.
“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 upon us to behave in ways that induce and promote peaceful coexistence at all times, in all situations we find ourselves in.”
Sen Holland said justice and fairness is an important prerequisite to achieving peace, adding that where peace prevails, there are brighter chances for positive development for all. “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,” she said.
ZimPI says its appeal for society to heed President Mnangagwa’s call for peace covers everyone including voters, political parties, civil society, traditional leaders, bureaucracy and the media.
Sen Holland said they seek to contribute to a safe, secure, happy, peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe anchored on sustainable peace.
ZimPI mainstreams peacebuilding in regenerative grassroots development programmes with special attention to women, children, people living with disability, the vulnerable and minority members of the community. – The Herald
