Gukurahundi victims want apology from Mnangagwa

Survivors and victims of the Gukurahundi massacres in the 1980s have cautioned the government against dictating how this sensitive issue should be addressed, insisting that they are still alive to speak for themselves.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to officially launch the Gukurahundi hearings at the Bulawayo State House tomorrow.

Charles Thomas, a survivor of the atrocities, criticized the government's decision to proceed without consulting them, stressing the importance of accurately representing the country's dark past.

"It is unfortunate that the government has decided to go it alone without even consulting us to ensure the country's dark past is not distorted," Thomas said. He was unaware of the hearings' launch, asking, "Why are they leaving us out?"

"We should be present at the launch to express our needs. We want an apology and compensation. The government must take this matter seriously," he added. "They cannot torture us and then dictate how the issue should be handled. Some of us still suffer from injuries sustained during the Gukurahundi era."

Thomas, who bears visible scars from torture by the North Korea-trained 5 Brigade, revealed that he spends US$47 monthly on medication imported from South Africa due to injuries from that period. "I am poor because of this after losing all my property," he lamented.

He questioned the involvement of current chiefs, many of whom were young during Gukurahundi, saying, "What can these chiefs do when they were given vehicles?"

Zipra Association deputy spokesperson Joakim Moyo emphasized that victims and survivors should be directly addressed by the government. "We have a 15-page guideline on handling the Gukurahundi issue, which we presented under Matabeleland collective, but it was ignored," Moyo said.

Moyo highlighted the scattered human bones across Matabeleland as a testament to the killings. "Let the bones speak for themselves and guide us on what needs to be done," he insisted, advocating for traditional cultural practices in dealing with such issues.

He mentioned that some perpetrators have sought to apologize but were rejected due to being haunted by the spirits of the dead. "They cannot wait for the government because their families suffer from bad omens," Moyo added.

Former Ntabazinduna chief Felix Nhlanhlayemangwe Ndiweni argued that Gukurahundi lacks a legal definition and is being used as a public relations exercise. "In the legal context, it should be addressed as Ndebele genocide, Ndebele war crimes, and crimes against humanity," Ndiweni said, vowing to engage South Africa in the matter.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana stated that chiefs' roles as community leaders are enshrined in the law and the Constitution. "Why would we need a law to allow the same chiefs to engage with their same communities?" Mangwana asked.

The late former president Robert Mugabe deployed the 5 Brigade to Matabeleland and Midlands provinces to quash an insurgency, but critics argue it was a move to establish a one-party state. The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe estimates that over 20,000 civilians were killed during this period.