News / Local
Mugabe not responsible for Gukurahundi says Chinamasa
19 Jul 2012 at 16:12hrs | Views
Following revelations that MPs from the two MDC formations and Zanu-PF agreed that all human rights atrocities committed against the people of Zimbabwe before February 2009 should not be investigated by the Human Rights Commission.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa caused a storm on Wednesday night when he claimed that Mugabe was not responsible for the Gukurahundi massacres.
Chinamasa made the shocking remark at a meeting that had been organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZiC) to discuss the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill.
"I am surprised that we are simplifying complex issues. Let's take Gukurahundi, once you start a conflict it feeds on itself, it achieves and assumes a life of its own. So the thrust should be to prevent, once it has happened, my dear colleagues and brothers and sisters, once it has happened there is no one, anymore who can be responsible for what happens.
"It has happened in our colonial period, it has happened even before the colonial times. if there is a crisis there is no way anyone can turn to be in control, so words like president commandeered this or that are just reckless statements. No one ordered the killing of anyone it was a national crisis," said Chinamasa to huge growls of disapproval from the audience which was made up of civic society players, political party activists and police detectivesc who meticulous took notes.
Chinamasa is the latest in a long line of Zanu-PF ministers who have sought to trivialise and absolve Mugabe from the Gukurahundi massacres.
Some members of the civic society feel the cut-off date of February 2009 is not ideal because this means letting perpetrators of the Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina and 2008 post electoral violence off the hook.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa caused a storm on Wednesday night when he claimed that Mugabe was not responsible for the Gukurahundi massacres.
Chinamasa made the shocking remark at a meeting that had been organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZiC) to discuss the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill.
"It has happened in our colonial period, it has happened even before the colonial times. if there is a crisis there is no way anyone can turn to be in control, so words like president commandeered this or that are just reckless statements. No one ordered the killing of anyone it was a national crisis," said Chinamasa to huge growls of disapproval from the audience which was made up of civic society players, political party activists and police detectivesc who meticulous took notes.
Chinamasa is the latest in a long line of Zanu-PF ministers who have sought to trivialise and absolve Mugabe from the Gukurahundi massacres.
Some members of the civic society feel the cut-off date of February 2009 is not ideal because this means letting perpetrators of the Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina and 2008 post electoral violence off the hook.
Source - Byo24News
