Public have faith in local mediators- Survey

A survey conducted by Transparency International-Rwanda (TI-RW) on behalf of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), reveals that 75.9 per cent of people who refer their cases to local mediators, commonly known as Abunzi, have full trust in the committees.The survey covered 15 districts and targeted respondents who answered, reported cases or acted as witnesses before the mediators’ committees.“People want Abunzi to be given more powers so that they can even handle issues above Rwf 3 million urging that their activities have not only saved them time to go to the courts of law, but also the high costs incurred in the process,” RGBs` Deputy CEO, Dr. Felicien Usengumukiza explained.Currently, the 12 member committees operating at the cell and sector levels are only allowed to mediate civil cases in which disputes do not involve a cash value beyond Rwf 3 million.The survey also indicates that public satisfaction over the mediators’ activities to provide justice stands at 76 per cent with their integrity rated at 81.5 per cent. The overall performance stands at 77.2 per cent.The report also indicates that the committees have greatly contributed to unity and reconciliation by providing fair justice.However, the survey highlights challenges that limit mediators’ performance.Among others, there is urgent need for them to undergo training mainly on certain specific laws that are in line with their work, especially the land and inheritance law.