News / National
Police summon gukurahundi genocide activist over 2019 'violence'
29 May 2021 at 03:06hrs | Views
POLICE in Bulawayo have issued court summons to Ibhetshu LikaZulu secretary general, Mbuso Fuzwayo over his alleged involvement in violent protests which rocked Bulawayo City Hall in October 2019 following the abortive suspension of Town Clerk, Christopher Dube.
Then acting mayor Tinashe Kambarami had suspended Dube over allegations of mismanaging council funds and abuse of office.
Dube's suspension however triggered violent demonstrations from his sympathisers who besieged the City Hall denouncing Kambarami's actions.
The pressure group's information and publicity secretary, Gifford Sibanda said Fuzwayo was being persecuted for fighting for the rights of the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres which claimed an estimated 20 000 civilians in Matebeleland and Midlands provinces.
"The summoning of Fuzwayo by police for a case which allegedly happened in 2019 is just a smokescreen.
"As Ibhetshu LikaZulu, we believe Fuzwayo's summoning has something to do with the activist's work on Gukurahundi atrocities especially after the Bhalagwe Gukurahundi memorials," said Sibanda.
Unidentified people Sunday reportedly stole a Gukurahundi memorial plaque erected by Ibhetshu Likazulu in memory of thousands of people that were killed by the North Korean trained Fifth Brigade at Bhalagwe in Maphisa Matebeleland South, a place where victims of the atrocities were also buried at the detention centre.
A similar memorial plaque that was erected by the pressure group was in April 2019 also destroyed by Zanu-PF sympathisers.
"We do not doubt Fuzwayo's innocence, and we hope political machinations will not blind the eyes of justice.
"Using the law against people is not a new method. It is the same strategy which was used during Gukurahundi that robbed us of the likes of Lookout Masuku and infringed on the rights of the likes of other former ZIPRA cadres," said Sibanda.
Fuzwayo is expected to appear in court in June.
Then acting mayor Tinashe Kambarami had suspended Dube over allegations of mismanaging council funds and abuse of office.
Dube's suspension however triggered violent demonstrations from his sympathisers who besieged the City Hall denouncing Kambarami's actions.
The pressure group's information and publicity secretary, Gifford Sibanda said Fuzwayo was being persecuted for fighting for the rights of the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres which claimed an estimated 20 000 civilians in Matebeleland and Midlands provinces.
"The summoning of Fuzwayo by police for a case which allegedly happened in 2019 is just a smokescreen.
"As Ibhetshu LikaZulu, we believe Fuzwayo's summoning has something to do with the activist's work on Gukurahundi atrocities especially after the Bhalagwe Gukurahundi memorials," said Sibanda.
Unidentified people Sunday reportedly stole a Gukurahundi memorial plaque erected by Ibhetshu Likazulu in memory of thousands of people that were killed by the North Korean trained Fifth Brigade at Bhalagwe in Maphisa Matebeleland South, a place where victims of the atrocities were also buried at the detention centre.
A similar memorial plaque that was erected by the pressure group was in April 2019 also destroyed by Zanu-PF sympathisers.
"We do not doubt Fuzwayo's innocence, and we hope political machinations will not blind the eyes of justice.
"Using the law against people is not a new method. It is the same strategy which was used during Gukurahundi that robbed us of the likes of Lookout Masuku and infringed on the rights of the likes of other former ZIPRA cadres," said Sibanda.
Fuzwayo is expected to appear in court in June.
Source - newzimbabwe
