via Gukurahundi no closed chapter, group New Zimbabwe 14/01/2015
A LOCAL human rights group this week declared that the contentious 1980s massacres in parts of the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces were “no closed chapter” following state media claims that the issue was now water under the bridge.
In a statement, Heal Zimbabwe Trust – a group that offers counselling to victims of political violence in particular – expressed disgust at reports that the “genocide” commonly referred to as the Gukurahundi and described by President Robert Mugabe as “a moment of madness” should be forgotten.
“The current debate on the Gukurahundi massacres, a sad epoch in the Zimbabwean history that witnessed the massacre of over 20 000 people in Matabeleland in the early 1980s is neither a myth nor a closed chapter as some individuals purport,” said the group.
“It is unfortunate that to date nothing has been done by the Government in terms of publicly acknowledging the heinous crimes and bringing the perpetrators to book.
“If anything, some of those who participated in this regrettable deed remain in high offices of authority. To date effects of the massacres are still fresh in the survivors’ lives.”
A public media columnist believed to be President Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba, a few weeks ago, claimed that “technocrats domiciled in the diaspora and detached from the people continue to raise the Gukurahundi issue to gain political mileage”.
Charamba who writes as Nathaniel Manheru, was heavily criticized mostly by people from the western regions of the country as being insensitive to the plight of the survivors of the atrocities.
Heal Zimbabwe, in the statement, said “the regrettable acts which took place during the early 1980s was a suppression of Zimbabwean civilians, mostly supporters of the late vice president, Joshua Nkomo by members of Zimbabwe’s 5th brigade in the predominantly Ndebele regions and Midlands area and called for dialogue on the matter.
“Heal Zimbabwe Trust believes that a national dialogue on the Gukurahundi massacres has to be opened up so as to open a discourse on healing and reconciliation. The salient point is that Gukurahundi has victims who are in dire need of healing, reparations, counselling and trauma healing.
“The continued eschewing of this regrettable but yet national issue by Government is a real retrogression against the attainment of national healing, peace and reconciliation.”
The group added: “There is also need for national dialogue on the matter where victims will tell the truth.
“Gukurahundi remains a period of conflict that has been neglected for long and continues to cause public outcry every time it is brought up. Gukurahundi was more than a ‘moment of madness’ as President Mugabe would have us believe.
“The mass massacres and the scarred victims remain fresh in the minds of many and the echoes of these tragic years still reverberate to this day.”
The Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation which has been placed under vice president Phelekezela Mphoko must ensure that this responsibility of healing a nation “that is in the deep end abyss of pain and hurt is given first priority, the group added.
“Heal Zimbabwe Trust implores the Government to swiftly operationalize the NPRC which faces an onerous task of healing past and fresh wounds.”
The North Korean trained 5th brigade is accused of having been responsible for the cold blooded killing of no less than 20,000 civilians under the pretext of hunting down dissidents reportedly linked to Nkomo who, at the time was leading opposition Zapu party, following the first elections that brought majority rule in 1980.
Nkomo’s Zapu was forced to unite with the ruling Zanu PF to form one part in what was at the time seen as Mugabe’s ploy to push for his one party state idea.
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