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Gukurahundi area perfect for Mugabe's birthday gig, Zanu PF
21 Jan 2017 at 03:27hrs | Views
The hosting of President Robert Mugabe's birthday at Matopos National Park, a few kilometres from a mass grave of people killed during the massacres in the 1980s is meant to promote domestic tourism.
Zanu PF youth league secretary Kudzai Chipanga said the site is the most perfect venue in Matabeleland South.
"As we are aware, during our previous meetings we resolved that we shall be having these celebrations on areas mainly to do with tourism" he told youth members on Friday.
"We had a similar celebration in Victoria Falls that is Matabeleland North province. We targeted Victoria Falls as a resort just because we wanted to promote domestic tourism as per our agreement as the Youth League. We had another one in Masvingo, Great Zimbabwe. This year we are going to have it at Matopos. It is a tourist attraction area.
"We want to promote our domestic tourism as the Youth League. We understand some opposition groups had already started to talk some nonsense, but we are not driven by opposition groups. We are going to have our 21st February Movement celebrations in Matopos."
Activists have said it was insensitive for Mugabe to host his birthday fête a stone's throw away from unmarked and officially unacknowledged graves of the 1980s killings that claimed an estimated 20 000 lives.
Mugabe has described the Gukurahundi atrocities as a "moment of madness", while lately Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has denied responsibility for the mass killings.
The atrocities ended with the signing of the Unity Accord between Mugabe and the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo on November 22, 1987.
Zanu PF youth league secretary Kudzai Chipanga said the site is the most perfect venue in Matabeleland South.
"As we are aware, during our previous meetings we resolved that we shall be having these celebrations on areas mainly to do with tourism" he told youth members on Friday.
"We had a similar celebration in Victoria Falls that is Matabeleland North province. We targeted Victoria Falls as a resort just because we wanted to promote domestic tourism as per our agreement as the Youth League. We had another one in Masvingo, Great Zimbabwe. This year we are going to have it at Matopos. It is a tourist attraction area.
"We want to promote our domestic tourism as the Youth League. We understand some opposition groups had already started to talk some nonsense, but we are not driven by opposition groups. We are going to have our 21st February Movement celebrations in Matopos."
Activists have said it was insensitive for Mugabe to host his birthday fête a stone's throw away from unmarked and officially unacknowledged graves of the 1980s killings that claimed an estimated 20 000 lives.
Mugabe has described the Gukurahundi atrocities as a "moment of madness", while lately Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has denied responsibility for the mass killings.
The atrocities ended with the signing of the Unity Accord between Mugabe and the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo on November 22, 1987.
Source - Byo24News
