Enforcer to launch Gukurahundi hearings

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa, who was the enforcer during the dark days, is expected to soon launch the Gukurahundi hearings to mark the commencement of an important process that is anticipated to bring closure to the post-independence conflict while entrenching healing and unity in the country.

Since assuming office, President Mnangagwa has been engaging the stakeholders in the affected communities to establish how best the Gukurahundi issue could be resolved. His efforts led to the resolution that chiefs should lead the process of conducting public hearings to gather information on what should be done to bring closure to the sad historical episode.

In an interview with Sunday News, President of the Chiefs' Council, Chief Mtshane Khumalo said they were concluding the final trainings after which the President was expected to launch the hearings.

"We are now at the final stages of the trainings. After we complete those we will then request the President to launch the hearings. I cannot give specific timelines as of when the last training will be concluded but it is only after we finish the last training that we are left with that we will ask the President to launch the hearings officially," said Chief Mtshane Khumalo.

He said several meetings and workshops have been conducted to train traditional leaders who will conduct the public hearings. There are 72 chiefs that have been trained in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South and each has 14 supporting staff.

President Mnangagwa last year launched a manual and handbook, which traditional leaders produced to guide them during the public hearings. Chiefs have since received laptops, cellphones, printers and recorders which they will use to collect data during the public hearings.

They will chair the meetings while rapporteurs will be responsible for recording the proceedings with religious groups, women's groups and youths' representatives are also expected to participate in the public hearings.

The development is part of the Second Republic's thrust to walk the talk in facilitating the process to bring about closure to the Gukurahundi issue.

President Mnangagwa has on various platforms emphasised the importance of unity in the country which he believes sets the stage for collective prosperity.

His position is informed by his philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind in the country's developmental trajectory which has seen the country, under the Second Republic, making deliberate efforts to leapfrog previously marginalised areas so that they move at the same pace with all parts of the country.

Fostering unity in the country through addressing the emotive Gukurahundi issue is also central to the country moving forward in one direction. Importantly and in line with President Mnangagwa's philosophy that Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo/Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, local traditional leaders are leading the process.

By leading the process, the traditional leaders are playing a critical role in coming up with internal solutions to internal national issues as it is Zimbabweans, and not anyone else, that should come up with solutions to their problems.