THE National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) wants members of the security sector to be part of its provincial peace committees so that they contribute towards the peace building process.

Already, Zimbabwe Republic Police members are part of the provincial peace committees after the NPRC engaged the force’s leadership.

The NPRC has revealed that the provincial peace committees across the country will play a pivotal role in peace building in the country.

The commission is in the process of establishing a 32-member special Gukurahundi committees drawn from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands.

The special committee selected from provincial peace committees is expected to tackle the 1980s Gukurahundi disturbances with the four provinces each providing eight members.

Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces have already selected their Gukurahundi special committee members after completing a peace building training workshop.

NPRC is riding on President Mnangagwa’s declaration that Gukurahundi should be discussed openly in a show of his Government’s commitment towards resolving the 1980s conflict.

In an interview, NPRC chairperson Retired Justice Selo Nare said they have extended an invitation to the security sector to be part of the provincial peace committees.

“As I talk, I have an invitation that we have forwarded to the security members so that we have stakeholders meeting in that area. In most meetings, as you might have noticed, we have the police attending these meetings. Unfortunately, in this one we did not have members of the army but we do invite them as well as be part of the committee members. We have to meet them so that they know exactly what we are doing,” said Justice Nare.

“We emphasise the fact His Excellency has said in no uncertain terms should people fail to talk about Gukurahundi. As a commission we feel this is one way of healing the nation, people must know and talk about it.”

He reiterated that the peace committees would play an integral role towards peace building at community levels.

Justice Nare said the completion of the training of provincial peace committees would mark the start of their field work.

“We do hope that by the beginning of next month we would through with the exercise of this nature and then go on to the field and have hearings and bring the committee members. This stakeholders’ workshop was to build confidence in the members so that the members are competent when they go out to tackle the issues,” he said.

Justice Nare said the commission was closely monitoring the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and hopes that it will not disturb their operations as most of their meetings do not include 100 participants.

President Mnangagwa on Tuesday banned public gatherings of more than 100 people as his Government takes drastic measures to protect Zimbabweans from the virus.