Gukurahundi hearings to be held in private as media barred 

The long-awaited Gukurahundi hearings, set to begin on June 26, will be conducted strictly in private, with journalists barred from attending and only one victim appearing before the panel at a time.

Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs, Chief Fortune Charumbira, told a press conference in Bulawayo that the process will follow a victim-centred approach to safeguard the dignity, safety and privacy of survivors of the 1980s atrocities.

“Our approach is victim-centred. These are not public hearings,” he said. “Because of the sensitivities involved and the private nature of some of the testimonies, such accounts cannot be shared openly.”

He stressed that even multiple victims from the same community would not appear together. Instead, each will be seen individually by a 14-member local panel, led by the area’s chief, with time slots arranged to ensure privacy.

“Victims will appear one at a time. A chief may, for example, hear one victim in the morning and another in the afternoon. Victims may only bring one or two close family members if they wish,” Charumbira said.

The hearings will be overseen by local chiefs supported by a panel comprising elders, religious leaders, youth and women’s representatives, as well as counselling experts, all drawn from the chief’s jurisdiction to maintain cultural sensitivity.

When asked if victims could choose to speak to the media outside the hearings, Charumbira firmly replied: “No.”

He explained that the restriction was intended to prevent re-traumatisation and social stigma for victims whose accounts may expose deeply personal or painful experiences.

“These are private matters. Like certain court cases held in camera, these hearings are confidential to protect the victim’s well-being,” he said.

Charumbira revealed that previous efforts to agree on media access guidelines with government and journalists had stalled.

“We met with the Ministry of Information to explore media involvement, and the media fraternity was tasked to propose a code of conduct. To date, no such framework has been submitted,” he said.

Despite this, Charumbira insisted that media attendance would remain inappropriate given the sensitivity of the proceedings.

“Some revelations could damage a victim’s standing in the community forever. We cannot risk that,” he warned. “Even if media were to be excluded after the fact, information might already be leaked or misused.”

Responding to concerns that barring the media contradicts the principle of transparency, Charumbira argued that openness lies in providing victims with a safe platform to speak.

“The openness is to the victims, not the public. The public will be informed through official briefings. What is important is the final report, not individual stories,” he said.

Charumbira assured journalists that the National Council of Chiefs would issue periodic updates on the hearings’ progress.

“Regular media briefings will be held by the President of the Council of Chiefs to keep the public informed,” he said.