Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) is a non-governmental organization
whose aim is to highlight the plight of the Zimbabwean
people and assist in cases of human rights abuse
.
The CCJPZ was established in 1972 as the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Rhodesia. The commission changed its name when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe after independence in 1980 and has offices in Harare, Bulawayo, Binga, and Mutare, along with the presence of a "Justice and Peace committee in each diocese. Its stated duties are ;to inform people’s consciences; to make people aware of their rights and duties as citizens; to encourage love, understanding and harmony through the promotion of the Church’s social teaching; to investigate allegations of injustice which it considers to merit attention, and to take appropriate action; to keep in contact with other organisations with similar aims and objectives and;to advise the Bishop’s Conference on the human rights situation pertaining from time to time..
's North Korean
-trained Zimbabwean Fifth Brigade
, which was known within the nation as the Gukurahundi
.The publication of the report was possible because Zimbabwe had been enjoying a period of stability and national unity since the Unity Accord of 1987.
As one of the few human rights organisations in Zimbabwe, CCJPZ has made significant contributions to the documentation of the injustices and suffering of the Zimbabwean people during the Liberation struggle and post independence civil unrest. In the late nineties the Commission distributed impartial literature on the right to vote
which led to a high voter turnout for the 2000 parliamentary elections.
, pre-election and post election violence since independence.
Ms Dorita Field 1983-1984
Mr C. Maveneka 1984-1986
Nicholas Ndebele 1986-1991
Mike Auret 1992-
A.M. Chaumba
Peter Peel 1990-1992
Charles Dube 1992-2000
in Rome and has active contact with Commissions in other countries.
.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
whose aim is to highlight the plight of the Zimbabwean
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
people and assist in cases of human rights abuse
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
The CCJPZ was established in 1972 as the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Rhodesia. The commission changed its name when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe after independence in 1980 and has offices in Harare, Bulawayo, Binga, and Mutare, along with the presence of a "Justice and Peace committee in each diocese. Its stated duties are ;to inform people’s consciences; to make people aware of their rights and duties as citizens; to encourage love, understanding and harmony through the promotion of the Church’s social teaching; to investigate allegations of injustice which it considers to merit attention, and to take appropriate action; to keep in contact with other organisations with similar aims and objectives and;to advise the Bishop’s Conference on the human rights situation pertaining from time to time..
Outreach
In March 1997, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe compiled the report on the situation in Matabeleland and the Midlands during the period of 1980-1988 titled Breaking the Silence, Building True Peace. The report was based on the human rights abuses orchestrated by Prime Minister Robert MugabeRobert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's North Korean
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
-trained Zimbabwean Fifth Brigade
Zimbabwean Fifth Brigade
The Fifth Brigade was an elite unit of specially trained Zimbabwean soldiers. The Fifth Brigade was formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1988 after allegations of brutality and murder during the Brigade's occupation of Matabeleland...
, which was known within the nation as the Gukurahundi
Gukurahundi
The Gukurahundi refers to the suppression by Zimbabwe's 5th Brigade in the predominantly Ndebele regions of Zimbabwe most of whom were supporters of Joshua Nkomo. A few hundred disgruntled former ZIPRA combatants waged armed banditry against the civilians in Matabeleland, and destroyed government...
.The publication of the report was possible because Zimbabwe had been enjoying a period of stability and national unity since the Unity Accord of 1987.
As one of the few human rights organisations in Zimbabwe, CCJPZ has made significant contributions to the documentation of the injustices and suffering of the Zimbabwean people during the Liberation struggle and post independence civil unrest. In the late nineties the Commission distributed impartial literature on the right to vote
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
which led to a high voter turnout for the 2000 parliamentary elections.
Recording History
The CCJPZ has recorded crucial chapters of Zimbabwe's history in reports and publications since before independence in 1980. These records encompass the Liberation struggle, the GukurahundiGukurahundi
The Gukurahundi refers to the suppression by Zimbabwe's 5th Brigade in the predominantly Ndebele regions of Zimbabwe most of whom were supporters of Joshua Nkomo. A few hundred disgruntled former ZIPRA combatants waged armed banditry against the civilians in Matabeleland, and destroyed government...
, pre-election and post election violence since independence.
Past Directors
Mr C. Mhondoro 1981-1982Ms Dorita Field 1983-1984
Mr C. Maveneka 1984-1986
Nicholas Ndebele 1986-1991
Mike Auret 1992-
A.M. Chaumba
Past Chair Persons
Mike Auret 1981-1990Peter Peel 1990-1992
Charles Dube 1992-2000
Affiliations
CCJPZ is a Commission of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference with an affiliation to the Pontifical Council for Justice and PeacePontifical Council for Justice and Peace
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is a part of the Roman Curia dedicated to "action-oriented studies" for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church...
in Rome and has active contact with Commissions in other countries.
Archival Information
- Reaching for Justice, a history of the CCJP (Mambo Press, 1992)
- Caught in The Crossfire (Video detailing the plight of the Zimbabwean people in the Liberation War of the 1970’s)
- Catholic Institute for International Relations, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Rhodesia. Rhodesia After the Internal Settlement, 1978
External links
- Breaking the Silence, Building True Peace. A report on the disturbances in Matabeleland and the Midlands 1980–1988
- Kubatana.net
.