Former National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Commissioner, Bishop Charles Masunungure is in Madagascar as part of the African Union Election Observer Mission to Madagascar to observe the Parliamentary elections in that country set to be held on 29 May 2024.
The 9-member Observer Mission which comprises members drawn from the following member states of the African Union: Benin, Cameron, DRC, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Rwanda, Seychelles, and Zimbabwe will be expected to be in that country for the next ten days covering pre, during and post-election periods.
Speaking to vhayeya.com Commissioner (Rtd) Bishop Charles Masunungure said he was glad that Zimbabwe is recognized in such an important continental mission.
” Iam glad as a Zimbabwean to be on the African Union Roster for Election Observers and I recently participated in a similar Mission in Equatorial Guinea in 2022 confirming not only the pedigree that the organization has noted in me as an election observation expert but also the trust that the international community has on the Zimbabwean system and its adherence to democratic processes as a member state of the continental body,” he said.
Bishop Charles Masunungure himself is an accomplished Peacebuilding Mediation and Community Dialogue expert who does Consultancy work in Peace and Security related assignments locally, continentally and internationally.
From 2021 to 2023 he facilitated a collaboration between the Governments of Switzerland and Zimbabwe in facilitating Peacebuilding capacity building to security and related institutions in Zimbabwe in preparation for the 2023 Harmonised Elections.
He is the founder and Chief Mediator at the International Mediation Experts, founder and Executive Director at Zimbabwe Peacebuilding Trust, organizations registered in Zimbabwe to promote peace and alternative dispute resolution.
He is also the Founder and General Overseer of Faith Covenant Church Zimbabwe.
He holds a Masters in Peace Leadership and Conflict Resolution, a Bsc in Counselling and several post graduate qualifications in Mediation and Negotiation from local and international institutions of higher learning.
His appointment as an election observer also cements his growing credentials as a peace advocate and mediator as well as reinforces the trust that the AU has on Zimbabwean personnel in electoral processes.
Meanwhile Zimbabweans are also on the list of an AU Observer Mission to observe the South African polls set to be held on the same day 29 May 2024.
Story by Jeremiah Gora
