The
senior
chief
said
the
programme
will
roll
out
across
all
traditional
leaders’
jurisdictions
in
Matabeleland
and
Midlands
provinces,
stating
that
logistical
arrangements
were
being
concluded
to
make
sure
the
‘sensitive’
process
starts
as
planned.
In
an
interview
with
CITE
on
Wednesday,
Chief
Mtshane
said
logistical
work
was
under
finalisation
to
allow
for
a
smooth
rollout
of
the
community
hearings,
which
are
expected
to
give
victims
of
the
1980s
genocide
a
platform
to
share
their
experiences.
“Too
early
for
me
to
say
if
all
is
ready
but
preparations
are
ongoing
so
that
by
the
end
of
today,
all
would
be
ready
that
the
process
starts
tomorrow,”
said
Chief
Mtshane.
“That’s
right,
the
exercise
will
take
place
in
all
the
different
chiefs’
jurisdictions.
The
chiefs
will
start
tomorrow.
Everyone
is
supposed
to
start
tomorrow.
If
one
doesn’t
start
tomorrow,
that
would
be
due
to
their
own
logistical
planning
due
to
one
or
two
things,
but
the
starting
date
is
tomorrow.”
The
outreach
process
will
see
traditional
leaders
presiding
over
closed-door
hearings,
assisted
by
a
local
14-member
panel
comprising
elders,
religious
leaders,
women,
youth
and
counsellors.
“Everyone
knows
what
to
do,
those
who
are
in
the
14-member
panel,
who
are
supposed
to
be
in
the
field,
know
what
to
do
because
this
exercise
requires
a
team
effort,”
Chief
Mtshane
said.
Chief
Mtshane
said
while
panel
members
would
receive
allowances
to
cover
meals
and
other
necessities,
there
would
be
no
food
provisions
for
victims
and
participants
to
avoid
perceptions
of
bias
or
manipulation.
“The
members
of
the
panel
have
their
allowances,
of
course,
to
cater
for
their
meals
among
other
things,
but
there
is
no
provision
for
participants
to
be
given
food.
Otherwise,
there
will
be
some
people
who
will
then
go
around
and
say
the
chiefs
were
going
around
buying
people
with
food.
You
see,
this
is
a
sensitive
matter,”
Chief
Mtshane
said.
However,
some
chiefs
in
parts
of
Matabelaland
were
unsure
as
to
whether
the
exercise
would
kick
off,
with
one
citing
that
“no,
“
they
would
not
be
starting
as
“logistics
had
yet
been
finalised.”
“Logistics
are
not
in
place
and
we
cannot
start
the
process,”
said
one
of
the
chiefs.
In
an
effort
to
keep
the
public
informed,
Chief
Mtshane,
revealed
plans
to
host
regular
press
briefings
in
Bulawayo.
“We
will
hold
a
press
conference
for
you,
I
am
not
sure
exactly
on
what,
but
most
likely
on
a
weekly
basis
here
in
Bulawayo
at
the
command
centre,”
he
said.
The
outreach
programme,
officially
launched
by
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
in
July
last
year,
has
drawn
criticism
over
the
role
of
chiefs,
its
structure
and
supposed
state
control,
while
journalists
have
been
barred
from
the
hearings.
These
issues
have
prompted
concerns
that
the
closed-door
approach
may
retraumatise
victims
and
fail
to
deliver
justice.