THE Government has always preached the gospel of peace and unity to take the country forward, and we urge each and every Zimbabwean to rally behind such a noble cause.
The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has been at the forefront of engaging citizens to speak with one voice, echoing sentiments by President Mnangagwa that a united nation is bound to be prosperous in all spheres of life.
Last week, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi reiterated that the national healing and reconciliation process has contributed to the country’s security by removing social threats while building and fostering sustained peace and national cohesion.
He was speaking during a presentation of his paper on the topic “National Healing and Reconciliation’s Contribution to National Security” to students attending a National Defence Course 07/18 at the Zimbabwe National Defence University in Harare.
VP Mohadi is responsible for the National Peace and Reconciliation portfolio in the Government. The portfolio ensures that peace building and conflict resolution are given the prominence they deserve nationally. He said people who live in peace and tolerate each other and reconcile after disputes would do it to move the country forward.
“People who are at peace with each other and reconcile after disputes are not a threat to national security. The threat to national security in such a social environment is from external forces, as there is peace and tranquillity within,” he said.
He said in the Second Republic, national healing and reconciliation was a vital block to peace building.
“National healing and reconciliation is a major building block in the national peace building architecture which contributes to preservation of national security. In the new dispensation, the national peace building architecture originates from the Zimbabwean Constitution. Chapter 1 gives the founding values and principles of Zimbabwe which is a unitary, democratic and sovereign republic,” said VP Mohadi.
VP Mohadi will soon embark on a peace building programme in the country’s eight provinces starting with Mashonaland Central province where he will engage with traditional leaders and communities. The benefits brought about by peace can also be measured in economic terms.
Peace does in fact have a monetary value independent of the human values associated with it. It can be expressed in terms of the additional value to global GDP that would ensue from creating a peaceful world. The Institute for Economics and Peace in conjunction with the Economists for Peace and Security released an insightful study which assesses the impact of lost peace on the world economy at 7,2 trillion dollars (US$7 200 000 000 000) annually. Over a ten-year period this adds up to US$72 trillion (2009 Discussion paper, Institute for Economics and Peace).
The United Nations says the nexus between peace and development has gained significant importance in the global debate, including in the context of the elaboration of the post 2015 development agenda.
“Our assessment of the Millennium Development Goals has shown that progress on the development front cannot be achieved if peace and stability are not ensured and sustained, and vice versa. As the Secretary-General said in his report entitled “A life of dignity for all”, peace is an enabler of development, in as much as it is a key outcome of our global development efforts.
“If the post-2015 sustainable development agenda is to be truly transformative, it needs to be inclusive, people-centred and connected to the realities of societies, including their cultural dimensions.
To this end, the United Nations has carried out a wide consultation process to connect global efforts to the voice of the people and to learn from their experiences.
This is also the spirit in which the Open Working Group established by the General Assembly to craft a set of Sustainable Development Goals has been working.”
It is therefore prudent that citizens shun any forms of violence and any attempts by opposition politicians to incite people to take part in events that might lead to violence or cause hatred among citizens, these should be treated with uttermost contempt.