'Don't use Gukurahundi for political expediency'

ZIPRA Veterans' Association chairperson Ben Ncube has rapped politicians for flagging the Gukurahundi massacres as their campaign trump card, saying only Zapu and ex-Zipra members had the wherewithal to speak authoritatively on the issue as they were the main targets.

Addressing delegates at the Zapu congress which ended in Bulawayo at the weekend, Ncube said the Gukurahundi issue was being abused for political expediency by politicians who had scant knowledge of the objectives and after-effects of the atrocities.

At least 20 000 people were reportedly killed in Matabeleland and Midlands regions as the Zanu-PF government cracked down on suspected ex-Zipra dissidents.

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has also been implicated in the atrocities, recently angered Gukurahundi victims when he told Parliament that parties pushing for the exhumation and reburials of the victims should approach the Home Affairs ministry.

Ncube said Zipra and Zapu were targeted victims of the massacres making them the most suitable people to talk about the sad incidents.

"People who are supposed to talk about Gukurahundi are Zipra and Zapu. We surrendered the weapons to the government at Independence. They took those weapons and killed people here and they start talking careless about this," he said.

Ncube also lamented that the country, which Zipra fought for so hard for, has been pocketed by some individuals in Zanu-PF. He said what was pleasing was that the majority of the people seem to have seen the evils of the government, hence the escalation of demonstrations against it.

Zipra ex-combatant, Max Mkandla also warned politicians to stop using Gukurahundi as a political tool, saying that rekindled bad memories to those who were affected.

"It is not good for Gukurahundi to be preached at political rallies where no resolution is made. I challenge the government and civil society to meet and form a committee which will deal with this issue and come up with a way forward because at the moment the way I look at it, it's like people joke about this sensational issue," Mkandla said.

"People should market their political party policies and stop using this painful phenomenon as their campaign tool."