News / National
Mthwakazi Human Rights condemns planned Mnangagwa genocide mass grave exhumations
11 Apr 2019 at 20:52hrs | Views
The 1893 Mthwakazi Human Rights Restoration Movement (1893 MHRRM) notes with grave concern the recent developments regarding the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide and the way the state crime of this magnitude is being handled in Zimbabwe. There seems a clear and well-designed attempt to fudge the handling of the Genocide by leading perpetrators and their co-conspirators.
What must be clear to all and sundry is that the resolution of the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide state crime cannot be led by perpetrators and co-conspirators of the said crime. At the centre of the resolution of the Genocide of Matebeleland are 4 key issues that the people of Matebeleland deserve. These are the Right to Truth, the Right to Justice, the Right to Reparations and the Right to Healing regarding this genocide. These Rights are sacrosanct and cannot be swapped for anything except the Right to Self Determination of our people.
The Movement notes with grave concern attempts being made by perpetrators and co-conspirators of the Matebeleland Genocide to evade the 4 above mentioned key Rights that need to be addressed by an independent and competent body that is not led by the accused. We therefore decry a rat race being made by the perpetrators and co-conspirators to interfere with crime evidence at mass grave burial sites of the victims of the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide.
A few days ago, a perpetrator designed and driven programme was announced in Zimbabwe to the effect that there will be exhumations of victims of the genocide for reburials in Matebeleland. This announced programme is clearly meant to interfere with a solid, unshaken and unadulterated programme of seeking Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing for the Matebeleland genocide.
It is simply no rocket science to come to a conclusion that there is a clear agenda on the part of the perpetrators and co-conspirators of the genocide to fudge their crime and ensure that Matebeleland people are short-changed of their Rights to Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing for the genocide 38 years after the gross state crime was committed.
The seeking of the Truth can only be achieved by having an independent investigation of the Genocide. Tampering with evidence at mass grave burial sites by engaging in burial site exhumations of those killed during the genocide will destroy much needed evidence and therefore the Truth. An independent and competent investigation at these sites by a UN assembled Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry into the Genocide is the way to go. Any avoidance of such a Commission would be an evasion of Truth and Accountability for these crimes. But none should be surprised that the perpetrators would want this to be so and therefore the observance of a rat race to destroy evidence found in mass graves dotted around Matebeleland.
The Movement therefore strongly calls for the setting up of a UN Matebeleland Genocide Commission of Inquiry as a matter of urgency. This Commission of Inquiry on the Genocide must be set up through the UN's Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an arm of the United Nations responsible for such matters. There is an urgent need for all the people of Matebeleland to meet in Bulawayo to chart the course and openly and publicly set up a blueprint for the resolution of the matter on their terms and not on the terms of perpetrators and co-conspirators.
The request from the United Nations for the setting up of such a Commission must be led by eminent persons from Matebeleland such as Dumiso Dabengwa, Moses Mzila, uncompromised lawyers, uncompromised clerics, uncompromised organizations and uncompromised Chiefs from Matebeleland. It must be noted that uMkhonto WeSizwe were casualties of this Genocide and therefore it is critical that representatives of uMkhonto WeSizwe be involved in the set up Matebeleland Genocide Committee that will make a formal submission request to the UNHRC for the setting up of a Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry into the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide.
It is the Movement's considered and strongly held view that no exhumations should be carried out before any investigations by the set up UNHRC Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry. Such a Commission, it is hoped, will deploy expertise of international forensic experts to do investigations and collate evidence at these mass grave burial sites using investigative methodologies of international standards underpinned by international law. It is also this Movement's considered and strongly held view that no people of Matebeleland should accede to the exhumations of these mass grave burial sites without the work of an international commission of inquiry doing its work. Acceding to such machinations will be a gross betrayal of the people of Matebeleland and a great betrayal of the memory of thousands who perished at the hands of the 5th Brigade of Zimbabwe, a North Korean trained crack unit that was formed specifically to carry out a this genocide by Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his co-conspirators who remain in power today.
The position of the Movement is very clear. None in Matebeleland should be talking of compensation without the establishment of the Truth, the nature, degree and extent of that Truth. For us this is critical. The Truth cannot be established by perpetrator and co-conspirator designed and driven programmes meant to sanitize their gross crimes against humanity. The establishment of Truth will indeed speak to the United Nation's Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide adopted by the UN General assembly 71 years ago, no matter how long it may take. There must be no short-cuts to the resolution of this issue and neither should anyone be used as a cog wheel towards such the destruction of evidence for this crime.
Our clarion call is for Matebeleland people to recover their consciences and in unity stand together in one corner on this matter and refuse to stand in the corner of perpetrators and co-conspirators of the Matebeleland Genocide or allow perpetrators and co-conspirators to be at the driving seat of cleansing themselves of their crimes.
To the international community we say that this issue, of such great magnitude and a gross crime against humanity, need not be fudged or any efforts made to support the fudging of this issue for economic interests or expediency. Doing so will delay the resolution of this issue with possible dire consequences for the future. Matebeleland deserves better.
Released by the 1893 MHRRM Information and Publicity Department
What must be clear to all and sundry is that the resolution of the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide state crime cannot be led by perpetrators and co-conspirators of the said crime. At the centre of the resolution of the Genocide of Matebeleland are 4 key issues that the people of Matebeleland deserve. These are the Right to Truth, the Right to Justice, the Right to Reparations and the Right to Healing regarding this genocide. These Rights are sacrosanct and cannot be swapped for anything except the Right to Self Determination of our people.
The Movement notes with grave concern attempts being made by perpetrators and co-conspirators of the Matebeleland Genocide to evade the 4 above mentioned key Rights that need to be addressed by an independent and competent body that is not led by the accused. We therefore decry a rat race being made by the perpetrators and co-conspirators to interfere with crime evidence at mass grave burial sites of the victims of the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide.
A few days ago, a perpetrator designed and driven programme was announced in Zimbabwe to the effect that there will be exhumations of victims of the genocide for reburials in Matebeleland. This announced programme is clearly meant to interfere with a solid, unshaken and unadulterated programme of seeking Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing for the Matebeleland genocide.
It is simply no rocket science to come to a conclusion that there is a clear agenda on the part of the perpetrators and co-conspirators of the genocide to fudge their crime and ensure that Matebeleland people are short-changed of their Rights to Truth, Justice, Reparations and Healing for the genocide 38 years after the gross state crime was committed.
The seeking of the Truth can only be achieved by having an independent investigation of the Genocide. Tampering with evidence at mass grave burial sites by engaging in burial site exhumations of those killed during the genocide will destroy much needed evidence and therefore the Truth. An independent and competent investigation at these sites by a UN assembled Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry into the Genocide is the way to go. Any avoidance of such a Commission would be an evasion of Truth and Accountability for these crimes. But none should be surprised that the perpetrators would want this to be so and therefore the observance of a rat race to destroy evidence found in mass graves dotted around Matebeleland.
The Movement therefore strongly calls for the setting up of a UN Matebeleland Genocide Commission of Inquiry as a matter of urgency. This Commission of Inquiry on the Genocide must be set up through the UN's Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an arm of the United Nations responsible for such matters. There is an urgent need for all the people of Matebeleland to meet in Bulawayo to chart the course and openly and publicly set up a blueprint for the resolution of the matter on their terms and not on the terms of perpetrators and co-conspirators.
The request from the United Nations for the setting up of such a Commission must be led by eminent persons from Matebeleland such as Dumiso Dabengwa, Moses Mzila, uncompromised lawyers, uncompromised clerics, uncompromised organizations and uncompromised Chiefs from Matebeleland. It must be noted that uMkhonto WeSizwe were casualties of this Genocide and therefore it is critical that representatives of uMkhonto WeSizwe be involved in the set up Matebeleland Genocide Committee that will make a formal submission request to the UNHRC for the setting up of a Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry into the Matebeleland Gukurahundi Genocide.
It is the Movement's considered and strongly held view that no exhumations should be carried out before any investigations by the set up UNHRC Matebeleland International Commission of Inquiry. Such a Commission, it is hoped, will deploy expertise of international forensic experts to do investigations and collate evidence at these mass grave burial sites using investigative methodologies of international standards underpinned by international law. It is also this Movement's considered and strongly held view that no people of Matebeleland should accede to the exhumations of these mass grave burial sites without the work of an international commission of inquiry doing its work. Acceding to such machinations will be a gross betrayal of the people of Matebeleland and a great betrayal of the memory of thousands who perished at the hands of the 5th Brigade of Zimbabwe, a North Korean trained crack unit that was formed specifically to carry out a this genocide by Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his co-conspirators who remain in power today.
The position of the Movement is very clear. None in Matebeleland should be talking of compensation without the establishment of the Truth, the nature, degree and extent of that Truth. For us this is critical. The Truth cannot be established by perpetrator and co-conspirator designed and driven programmes meant to sanitize their gross crimes against humanity. The establishment of Truth will indeed speak to the United Nation's Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide adopted by the UN General assembly 71 years ago, no matter how long it may take. There must be no short-cuts to the resolution of this issue and neither should anyone be used as a cog wheel towards such the destruction of evidence for this crime.
Our clarion call is for Matebeleland people to recover their consciences and in unity stand together in one corner on this matter and refuse to stand in the corner of perpetrators and co-conspirators of the Matebeleland Genocide or allow perpetrators and co-conspirators to be at the driving seat of cleansing themselves of their crimes.
To the international community we say that this issue, of such great magnitude and a gross crime against humanity, need not be fudged or any efforts made to support the fudging of this issue for economic interests or expediency. Doing so will delay the resolution of this issue with possible dire consequences for the future. Matebeleland deserves better.
Released by the 1893 MHRRM Information and Publicity Department
Source - Thembani Dube
