News / National
'Stop using Gukurahundi for personal gain'
11 Oct 2017 at 17:30hrs | Views
Former Magwegwe legislator Felix Mafa, who is on a solo crusade to have closure on the Gukurahundi atrocities, has challenged Zanu-PF to stop an indirect election campaign using the atrocities.
Under his registered organisation the Post Independent Survivors Trust (Pist) which was established in 2004, Mafa said while Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko had been outspoken regarding the redress of the post-independence disturbances, the situation on the ground was different.
Part of the organisation's objectives is to assist political victims, assisting children of Gukurahundi victims - old and young - to procure official documents and to document human rights violations among others.
"It is most inhumane and uncivilised to take advantage of the deceased to achieve one's goals at all costs," Mafa said.
"It is common cause to see various political formations campaign for whatever elections using the Gukurahundi genocide as their trump card but it's unfortunate that the parties like Zanu-PF want to abuse their authority as a ruling party to hoodwink innocent victims into voting for them," he said.
Mphoko, who is in charge of the Reconciliation ministry, a few months ago launched a programme in Tsholotsho to facilitate issuance of identity documents to families of Gukurahundi victims.
Mafa said ever since Mphoko launched the programme to issue Gukurahundi victims with identity documents, there hasn't been a follow-up to see how it has fared.
"Mphoko just announced that people should be given identity cards but there has not been a follow-up and our survey indicates that there has been a low uptake because of lack of information among those who should be benefiting," he said.
The Pist director said he was forced to form the organisation after he lost his first born child at the height of the atrocities and he accused Zanu-PF of "campaigning by the dead".
"Zanu-PF has a tradition of coming up with pledges and projects that will never be implemented and we are aware of that and, as Pist, we demand that Zanu-PF and other silent pretenders desist from such a dehumanising trend of campaigning by the dead with false hood."
Mafa hailed such organisations as Ibhetshu LikaZulu, ZimRights and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights for going out of their way to conscientise the affected communities through awareness campaigns.
Pist has in the past instituted programmes to the affected areas like Silobela, Lupane, Nkayi, Gwanda, Balagwe and Kezi among others.
Under his registered organisation the Post Independent Survivors Trust (Pist) which was established in 2004, Mafa said while Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko had been outspoken regarding the redress of the post-independence disturbances, the situation on the ground was different.
Part of the organisation's objectives is to assist political victims, assisting children of Gukurahundi victims - old and young - to procure official documents and to document human rights violations among others.
"It is most inhumane and uncivilised to take advantage of the deceased to achieve one's goals at all costs," Mafa said.
"It is common cause to see various political formations campaign for whatever elections using the Gukurahundi genocide as their trump card but it's unfortunate that the parties like Zanu-PF want to abuse their authority as a ruling party to hoodwink innocent victims into voting for them," he said.
Mphoko, who is in charge of the Reconciliation ministry, a few months ago launched a programme in Tsholotsho to facilitate issuance of identity documents to families of Gukurahundi victims.
"Mphoko just announced that people should be given identity cards but there has not been a follow-up and our survey indicates that there has been a low uptake because of lack of information among those who should be benefiting," he said.
The Pist director said he was forced to form the organisation after he lost his first born child at the height of the atrocities and he accused Zanu-PF of "campaigning by the dead".
"Zanu-PF has a tradition of coming up with pledges and projects that will never be implemented and we are aware of that and, as Pist, we demand that Zanu-PF and other silent pretenders desist from such a dehumanising trend of campaigning by the dead with false hood."
Mafa hailed such organisations as Ibhetshu LikaZulu, ZimRights and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights for going out of their way to conscientise the affected communities through awareness campaigns.
Pist has in the past instituted programmes to the affected areas like Silobela, Lupane, Nkayi, Gwanda, Balagwe and Kezi among others.
Source - dailynews
