News / Regional
Mugabe bash shifts base from Gukurahundi massacre site
01 Feb 2017 at 02:52hrs | Views
Zanu PF has made a massive climb-down on President Robert Mugabe's 93rd birthday bash venue in Matobo National Park.
It would be now be held at Rhodes Estate Preparatory School (Reps).
The Zanu PF Matabeleland South provincial executive has promised a historic bash for their party leader next month, despite calls for the venue to be changed.
Officials from Matabeleland South said they "no longer have enough time to prepare" for the initial venue which is a few kilometres from Bhalagwe, where scores of victims of the Gukurahundi massacres lie in shallow graves.
Said Zanu PF's Matobo North legislator Never Khanye "The reason for the change is that at the first venue that we had earmarked we found out that we no longer have enough time to prepare it then we opted for a venue that is already used as a rugby pitch and can accommodate all the 10 provinces," Khanye said.
The Gukurahundi massacres are an emotive issue in Matabeleland, with reports that up to 20 000 people were killed when the government sent a North Korean-trained militia to Matabeleland and Midlands to crack against Mugabe's rule.
The government is yet to apologise for the killings, with Mugabe only describing the era as a "moment of madness".
The Matobo Business Community had this week called on opposition parties and civic society groups to institute measures to stop Zanu PF from holding the 93rd birthday celebrations in the area.
"We want to warn those behind the so-called celebrations that Matobo is home to over 2 500 historic sites, some of which are sacred sites including Njelele and Dula among others, hence, Matobo is a sacred area," the grouping said.
"We have no powers to stop His Excellency from celebrating his birthday where ever he wants to, if we had, we would not want him to set foot in Matobo, but history will record that we are against it."
It would be now be held at Rhodes Estate Preparatory School (Reps).
The Zanu PF Matabeleland South provincial executive has promised a historic bash for their party leader next month, despite calls for the venue to be changed.
Officials from Matabeleland South said they "no longer have enough time to prepare" for the initial venue which is a few kilometres from Bhalagwe, where scores of victims of the Gukurahundi massacres lie in shallow graves.
Said Zanu PF's Matobo North legislator Never Khanye "The reason for the change is that at the first venue that we had earmarked we found out that we no longer have enough time to prepare it then we opted for a venue that is already used as a rugby pitch and can accommodate all the 10 provinces," Khanye said.
The Gukurahundi massacres are an emotive issue in Matabeleland, with reports that up to 20 000 people were killed when the government sent a North Korean-trained militia to Matabeleland and Midlands to crack against Mugabe's rule.
The government is yet to apologise for the killings, with Mugabe only describing the era as a "moment of madness".
The Matobo Business Community had this week called on opposition parties and civic society groups to institute measures to stop Zanu PF from holding the 93rd birthday celebrations in the area.
"We want to warn those behind the so-called celebrations that Matobo is home to over 2 500 historic sites, some of which are sacred sites including Njelele and Dula among others, hence, Matobo is a sacred area," the grouping said.
"We have no powers to stop His Excellency from celebrating his birthday where ever he wants to, if we had, we would not want him to set foot in Matobo, but history will record that we are against it."
Source - Byo24News
