Rwandans recommended to be careful while voting for Mediators ‘Abunzi’ for next 5-year mandate

By Elias Hakizimana.

Rwandans will on July 25, 2020 vote for Mediators ‘Abunzi’ to hold responsibilities of helping the citizens tackle criminal issues from the community without taking them to courts.

Civil society Organizations and the government remind Rwandans to be careful and vote for serious and right candidates who will successfully execute those responsibilities in the next five years from July, 2020 until July 2025.

Speaking during a round table meeting on June 30, 2020 with district stakeholders on the role of the Justice, Reconciliation, Law and Order Sector Strategy (JRLOS) to strengthen collaboration in Justice, Aimable Mwananawe, National Coordinator of Ihorere Munyarwanda Organization (IMRO) said vulnerable people are the most people who need support from mediators because court procedures are expensive.

He said that civil society organizations will strengthen mobilization to encourage citizens to vote for capable and right people who will stand for them and tackle their problems without taking them to courts.

“ I recommended Rwandans to vote for suitable candidates who know the problems of Rwandans and who are able to solve them.” He said.

“It is not the matter of people who have enough time, instead people who can dedicate their time on behalf of the general public,” he added.

Anastase Nabahire, the coordinator of JRLOS said that the Ministry of Justice has recently conducted a survey on the role of mediators in good governance and tackling community problems since 2014-2018. He said that the survey revealed that Rwandans appreciate mediators as they come from their close community.

“We found that their role is vital in solving community problems; citizens do not spend their time and money but they stay close to their activities and everything is done by mediators.” Nabahire said.

He appreciated the role of civil society in mobilizing the community to know their rights and report injustice cases.

He embarked on the national criminal justice policy, as it intends to suspect where a crime can come from, to suspect the fresh crime, to find more information on that crime and report the crime for court procedures.

Severien Rwamucyo, the good governance leader in Nyarugenge District reiterated that Rwandans are advised to campaign for right people who can fight against injustice while exercising their responsibilities as ‘Abunzi’/Mediators.

He recommended upcoming mediators to know the responsibilities they are going to execute before they enter in elections.

“They have to know that they will serve citizens as voluntaries without waiting for a reward or other benefits, our country does not accept corruption, they have to know that it’s a responsibility of dedication and they will be recognized by the country, that is my advice,” Rwamucyo said.