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Canaan Banana exposed for supporting Gukurahundi
21 Dec 2018 at 08:20hrs | Views
Founding President of Zimbabwe Canaan Sodindo Banana has been exposed for supporting government's decision to deploy the fifth brigade army that left an estimated 20 000 people dead in Matabeleland and Midlands.
In a newspaper article dated 8 May 1984 that has resurfaced, Banana accused the church of spreading lies claiming there is a massacre of innocent people in Matabeleland and Midlands.
"President Canaan Banana yesterday criticised the church for making allegations about army atrocities in Matabeleland South saying these were based on gossip and hearsay picked from the streets." The paper said.
"He said the government has both a legitimate duty and moral responsibility to ensure the safety of all citizens. It can therefore never be government policy to send the national army into Matabeleland to exterminate the Ndebele people.
"There is indeed a tragic situation but that is only the result of a deeper problem. The problem of those who unlawfully took arms to destabilise our hard-won independence." Banana is further quoted saying.
The paper further quotes Banana saying the church must not preach sermons based on Gukurahundi because it has no evidence that these atrocities were happening.
"Such unproven information is not something to preach sermons on from the pulpit or rush to the press to create sensational news headlines. If the church had to be constructive in its pronouncements it must in addition to conviction have proof and substantiated evidence especially if it must criticise elected governments."
Commenting on these newspaper article the General Secretary of Zimabbwe Communist Party Ngqabutho Mabhena said, " l do not consider the late Rev Banana as a hero, he abandoned his own people during Gukurahundi and elected to enjoy good life in Harare."
Canaan is known as the first Ndebele President of a free Zimbabwe. He presided over the country during the Gukurahundi era.
In a newspaper article dated 8 May 1984 that has resurfaced, Banana accused the church of spreading lies claiming there is a massacre of innocent people in Matabeleland and Midlands.
"President Canaan Banana yesterday criticised the church for making allegations about army atrocities in Matabeleland South saying these were based on gossip and hearsay picked from the streets." The paper said.
"He said the government has both a legitimate duty and moral responsibility to ensure the safety of all citizens. It can therefore never be government policy to send the national army into Matabeleland to exterminate the Ndebele people.
"There is indeed a tragic situation but that is only the result of a deeper problem. The problem of those who unlawfully took arms to destabilise our hard-won independence." Banana is further quoted saying.
The paper further quotes Banana saying the church must not preach sermons based on Gukurahundi because it has no evidence that these atrocities were happening.
"Such unproven information is not something to preach sermons on from the pulpit or rush to the press to create sensational news headlines. If the church had to be constructive in its pronouncements it must in addition to conviction have proof and substantiated evidence especially if it must criticise elected governments."
Commenting on these newspaper article the General Secretary of Zimabbwe Communist Party Ngqabutho Mabhena said, " l do not consider the late Rev Banana as a hero, he abandoned his own people during Gukurahundi and elected to enjoy good life in Harare."
Canaan is known as the first Ndebele President of a free Zimbabwe. He presided over the country during the Gukurahundi era.
Source - Byo24News
