News / Local
Tsvangirai pushes for Gukurahundi payouts
29 Mar 2012 at 12:13hrs | Views
Movement for Democratic Change leader and Zimbabweans Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, has called for legislation that will compel the government to compensate victims of State- sponsored violence, including the Gukurahundi atrocities.
Tsvangirai, who was speaking during a question-and-answer session in Parliament, said Gukurahundi was a "sensitive" matter and the government needed to handle it carefully.
He was responding to a question by Makoni South MP Pishai Muchauraya (MDC-T), who wanted to know if there was any intention to compensate victims of the 1980s military campaign in Matabeleland and Midlands.
"The honourable member is treading on a sensitive issue and I would like to say no policy has been adopted yet by government to compensate victims during this very sad episode in history," Tsvangirai said.
"This is a serious issue and we need to review the whole policy of compensation as it is painful to have lost loved ones."
But Sanyati MP Fungai Chaderopa (Zanu-PF) suggested that if government introduced such a policy, it would have to also consider compensating victims of the liberation war.
"Victims of the liberation struggle were compensated under the War Victims Compensation Act, and it responded in some way to them," Tsvangirai replied.
"However, the Act does not cover victims of Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina or people killed in political violence after independence.
"What is needed now is a law that is going to apply to the broad issues of compensation to victims of pre- and post-independence violence."
Tsvangirai, who was speaking during a question-and-answer session in Parliament, said Gukurahundi was a "sensitive" matter and the government needed to handle it carefully.
He was responding to a question by Makoni South MP Pishai Muchauraya (MDC-T), who wanted to know if there was any intention to compensate victims of the 1980s military campaign in Matabeleland and Midlands.
"The honourable member is treading on a sensitive issue and I would like to say no policy has been adopted yet by government to compensate victims during this very sad episode in history," Tsvangirai said.
"This is a serious issue and we need to review the whole policy of compensation as it is painful to have lost loved ones."
But Sanyati MP Fungai Chaderopa (Zanu-PF) suggested that if government introduced such a policy, it would have to also consider compensating victims of the liberation war.
"Victims of the liberation struggle were compensated under the War Victims Compensation Act, and it responded in some way to them," Tsvangirai replied.
"However, the Act does not cover victims of Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina or people killed in political violence after independence.
"What is needed now is a law that is going to apply to the broad issues of compensation to victims of pre- and post-independence violence."
Source - newsday
