'Mugabe not to blame for Gukurahundi,' says Mphoko

VICE President Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday reiterated that President Robert Mugabe is not behind the post-independence disturbances which occurred in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the early 1980s, saying it was a Western conspiracy.

Delivering a public lecture at the Great Zimbabwe University in Masvingo, VP Mphoko, who is responsible for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation, said President Mugabe should not be blamed for the early 1980s disturbances because the then Prime Minister of an independent Zimbabwe always preached peace and reconciliation.

He said in 1979, Mugabe proclaimed that it was the year of the people's storm, meaning that it was time to finish off the struggle.

"I remember the then Prime Minister Mugabe's independence message on New Year's eve in 1979. He proclaimed the time as the year of the people's storm meaning gore regukurahundi. What happened in the post-independence era was something else" said Mphoko.

Gukurahundi was not a creation of President Mugabe but was a white man's conspiracy, the VP said.

He said the President never supported the disturbances and should be absolved of any wrong doing.

VP Mphoko said in line with his peace and reconciliation message, Mugabe even forgave people like Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith who were responsible for untold suffering.

He said the proclamation on Gukurahundi was fulfilled on April 18, 1980, when the country attained its independence.

VP Mphoko said following the regrettable disturbances, common ground between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu was reached.

"Following the disturbances of the early 1980s in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces which President Mugabe referred to as 'a moment of madness,' he and another revolutionary nationalist icon, the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo signed the December 22, 1987 Unity Accord. This was meant to achieve sustainable peace, tranquillity and stability which the country enjoys to date," he said.

VP Mphoko said the country's colonisers used divisive methods to create conflict among Zimbabweans hence the post-independence disturbances which claimed innocent lives.

He said the media should not misrepresent facts as the tendency could fuel conflict.

"It's important to understand how Gukurahundi came about. You should not write wrong information about it, but be straight to the point because some of you write to perpetuate conflict, making people fight over nothing," added the VP.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail in February, VP Mphoko said Gukurahundi resulted from a plan by the West to stem the spread of communism in the region which saw the United States and Britain help establish and finance the rebel Renamo and Unita groups in Mozambique and Angola respectively.

He said when Zimbabwe became independent, Western interests in South Africa were clearly under threat and they devised means to destabilise the country.

VP Mphoko said there were two Gukurahundis, the first one carried in the President's message before independence for the country to be liberated and the other one after independence which was a conspiracy of the West.

"I have always said the post-independence Gukurahundi was a conspiracy of the West. This I maintain"? People can say what they want, but that was a Western conspiracy," he said then.