Opinion / Columnist
Audrey Chimwanda is a gukurahundi genocide denialist says Dr Mhlanga
23 Sep 2017 at 06:43hrs | Views
On the 12th September 2017, Audrey Chimwanda the host of the ANN7's Africa Tonight show interviewed the duo of Siphesakhe Youth Organisation Mr Ayanda Manala and Mr Yanga Mhluzi. Siphesakhe is best known for its theatre show- uLoyiko, which narrates the callous genocide which happened in Matabeleland. Mr Manala and Mr Mhluzi are both South Africans and human rights activists, who have taken up the Matabeleland genocide cause and dusted it up and re-awakened the world's conscience about it.
When Dr Brilliant Sigabade was shown the interview and a comment elicited from him he concluded that Audrey Chimwanda was possibly a gukurahundi genocide denialist. Ms Chimwanda was given an opportunity to respond to Dr Sigabade's scathing and lethal attack against her, however, she chose to ask about Dr Sigabade's credentials. This was the same line which had been taken by her producer Mr Pankaj Mishra.
"The mere fact that Ms Chimwanda chose to make herself the subject of the interview and felt as if violated on behalf of the gukurahundi genocide perpetrators is evidence enough to decipher her position on gukurahundi genocide"
Ms Chimwanda was clearly not interested in talking about the genocide, like many others of her type they denial the existence of the gukurahundi genocide, when they talk about it they talk about it in past tense and refer to it as a plot. Ms Chimwanda when asked about her views on the genocide she said that she views it from the spectacles of being a news anchor, she views it objectively and with seriousness it deserves, however, she failed to condemn the genocide nor to call for the justice for its victims.
The gukurahundi genocide was one of the worst human rights violations in Southern Africa in modern history which deserves to be condemned by all peace loving human beings.
Dr Sigabade argues that gukurahundi genocide against the people of Matabeleland is still on going right now. He argues that gukurahundi is not an event which was frozen in time but actually is/was a process which was well planned pre-independence and implemented with laser precision in 1983 to date.
"The gukurahundi genocide can be located on two levels, the first level is called the physical state or state of genocide. This phase was done in order to elicit a response from the victims, that is to cause them to fear the perpetrators, this response was achieved through murder, rape, pillage, maiming, and all other forms of physical brutality" Dr Sigabade said and continued as follows "the 2nd phase or level is called genocide of structures and cultural genocide. These two forms are intricately intertwined. The genocide of structures is to do with the policies, systems, organs and institutions of the state which are aimed at furthering the ends of the genocide; while cultural genocide is to do with the government apportioning cultural identifiers which are used for collective discrimination, for example the people of Matabeleland are being collectively discriminated against due to the sound of their names, their language, their political beliefs etc"
The producer of the show thought he could intimidate the writer from writing this article, his view may have been that the writer wanted to attack the show and thereby negatively impact on its ratings. Absolutely not, the writer appreciates the show and the debate generated thereafter, however, the gukurahundi genocide deserves some serious consideration not just as an after thought. There are many academics who have written and researched on this subject.
It is clear from Dr Sigabade's exposition that the gukurahundi genocide is still taking place in Matabeleland right now. The people of Matabeleland are denied opportunities in virtually all spheres of life, taking a look at staff composition in Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts will reveal the callousness of the Zimbabwe regime against the Venda and the Kalanga and the picture is the same throughout Matabeleland. This forces the Matebele out of the country or back into the countryside. Their properties are now being occupied by those from the favoured tribe which unfortunately Ms Chimwanda sought to defend.
When Dr Brilliant Sigabade was shown the interview and a comment elicited from him he concluded that Audrey Chimwanda was possibly a gukurahundi genocide denialist. Ms Chimwanda was given an opportunity to respond to Dr Sigabade's scathing and lethal attack against her, however, she chose to ask about Dr Sigabade's credentials. This was the same line which had been taken by her producer Mr Pankaj Mishra.
"The mere fact that Ms Chimwanda chose to make herself the subject of the interview and felt as if violated on behalf of the gukurahundi genocide perpetrators is evidence enough to decipher her position on gukurahundi genocide"
Ms Chimwanda was clearly not interested in talking about the genocide, like many others of her type they denial the existence of the gukurahundi genocide, when they talk about it they talk about it in past tense and refer to it as a plot. Ms Chimwanda when asked about her views on the genocide she said that she views it from the spectacles of being a news anchor, she views it objectively and with seriousness it deserves, however, she failed to condemn the genocide nor to call for the justice for its victims.
Dr Sigabade argues that gukurahundi genocide against the people of Matabeleland is still on going right now. He argues that gukurahundi is not an event which was frozen in time but actually is/was a process which was well planned pre-independence and implemented with laser precision in 1983 to date.
"The gukurahundi genocide can be located on two levels, the first level is called the physical state or state of genocide. This phase was done in order to elicit a response from the victims, that is to cause them to fear the perpetrators, this response was achieved through murder, rape, pillage, maiming, and all other forms of physical brutality" Dr Sigabade said and continued as follows "the 2nd phase or level is called genocide of structures and cultural genocide. These two forms are intricately intertwined. The genocide of structures is to do with the policies, systems, organs and institutions of the state which are aimed at furthering the ends of the genocide; while cultural genocide is to do with the government apportioning cultural identifiers which are used for collective discrimination, for example the people of Matabeleland are being collectively discriminated against due to the sound of their names, their language, their political beliefs etc"
The producer of the show thought he could intimidate the writer from writing this article, his view may have been that the writer wanted to attack the show and thereby negatively impact on its ratings. Absolutely not, the writer appreciates the show and the debate generated thereafter, however, the gukurahundi genocide deserves some serious consideration not just as an after thought. There are many academics who have written and researched on this subject.
It is clear from Dr Sigabade's exposition that the gukurahundi genocide is still taking place in Matabeleland right now. The people of Matabeleland are denied opportunities in virtually all spheres of life, taking a look at staff composition in Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts will reveal the callousness of the Zimbabwe regime against the Venda and the Kalanga and the picture is the same throughout Matabeleland. This forces the Matebele out of the country or back into the countryside. Their properties are now being occupied by those from the favoured tribe which unfortunately Ms Chimwanda sought to defend.
Source - Thulani Nkala
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