Opinion / Columnist
Motlanthe's Commission Report to opens up Gukurahundi wounds
20 Dec 2018 at 08:29hrs | Views
A lot of mistakes have been exposed on the depth and content of the Kglema Motlanthe's final report on 2018 August 1 massacre of innocent civilians by Zimbabwe National Army. Questions were also raised on the selection of commissioners. However, the participation of Nelson Chamisa and MDC-alliance legitimized the illegitimate team and the entire report of Kglema Motlanthe commission. This piece seeks to demonstrate that the unresolved Gukurahundi disturbances engineered by ZANU will make it hard if not impossible for ZANU PF government to implement the recommendations of the Kglema Motlanthe's report. Kglema Motlanthe commission's report cannot be implemented ahead of Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report without causing tribal cohesion in Zimbabwe.
It is evident and clear that not less than 20,000 innocent Zimbabweans were murdered by ZANU government and party more than 25 years ago. Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa were among the team of evil leaders who authored and planned for Gukurahundi. Neither Robert Gabriel Mugabe nor Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has accepted the responsibility or apologized for the massacre of the 20,000 innocent civilians. Robert Mugabe may even disappear on earth without even saying sorry to the people from Matabeleland and the entire country.
I know that some people may label me a tribalist, but I am 100% confident that the ZANU PF government has done nothing in trying to heal the wounds of Matabeleland brothers and sisters who are still psychologically disturbed by the ZANU massacre. There are reports of some people who are still finding it difficult to obtain birth certificates because their parents were murdered during the ‘moment of madness', the Gukurahundi massacre. Last month, I met with a Gukurahundi victim who told me that, his mother and father were killed before him and was 6 years then. He told me that he was struggling to move on.
Therefore, the only way for the ZANU PF government to silence the public about Gukurahundi massacre is to allow the process of healing and reconciliation to take place. They should learn from the healing and reconciliation that took place in Rwanda following the genocide of 1990s. The victims of Gukurahundi can only be healed and forgive after reconciliation process. The Chihambabwe's Gukurahundi report should be addressed and implemented before we move on as a country.
Kglema Motlanthe's final report recommended that the relatives of the victims of 1 August 2018 should be compensated by the government. How can President ED Mnangagwa and ZANU PF party do that before even accepting responsibility of the Gukurahundi disturbances in Matabeleland? How are the families of the murdered 20,000 innocent civilians going to feel? President ED Mnangagwa is between two hard rocks, the only solution is to rectify the Gukurahundi issue before compensating the families of the murdered 6 civilians by the Zimbabwe army. Compensations should be offered to the families of Gukurahundi before being extended to the Families of the 2018 August 1 victims.
The report asked the government to compensate people whose properties were destroyed during the 1 August 2018 disturbances. The commission went on to list the destroyed properties and amount. How can the government and ZANU PF party do that before even returning the properties forcibly taken from ZAPU party? There are a number of properties apart from lives that were lost during the Gukurahundi disturbances. The cabinet and ZANU PF's hands are tied , they cannot implement a single recommendation of the Kglema Motlanthe's report before addressing the Gukurahundi problem. They need to revisit Chihambakwe's report on Gukurahundi massacre before any move.
The report exposed that MDC-Alliance incited the 2018 August 1 demonstration and violence. People are waiting for the actions that the government is going to take against MDC alliance. It is an open secret that the ZANU party organized, planned, incited and killed more than 20,000 innocent civilians during Gukurahundi. What actions are going to be taken against ZANU party and other Gukurahundi perpetrators? This will make it difficult for ZANU PF government to fairly implement the Kglema Motlanthe commission's report. ZANU PF government and party do not have the moral or religious authority to implement the 2018 August 1 report before settling down the Gukurahundi issue.
It is clear and obvious that ZANU PF government should solve the Gukurahundi issue before handling the report of Kglema Motlanthe's commission. I therefore want to urge the cabinet of president ED Mnangagwa to seek for wisdom before implementing the August 1 report, otherwise the move may strengthen tribalism in our country. They must address the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report before the Kglema Motlanthe's, they need to accept the responsibility of the Gukurahundi atrocities before moving forward.
Conclusion
Zimbabwe cannot move forward before addressing the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report. Implementation of Kglema Motlanthe's report before Chihambabwe's will definitely be a dangerous move for ZANU PF government. They should justify the move before implementing such report of 6 murdered civilians vs. 20,000 innocent civilians killed by ZANU during Gukurahundi. I believe that president ED Mnangagwa does not want to go down the history of Zimbabwe as a tribalist president. Before addressing the Kglema Motlanthe's report, ZANU PF government should handle the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report. There is no genocide better than the other but time and ethnic factors should be considered before handling them. President ED Mnangagwa should seek for wisdom before implementing the Kglema Motlanthe's report ahead of the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report.
Don Chigumba is a mixed methods research specialist can be found on twitter @Donchigumba
It is evident and clear that not less than 20,000 innocent Zimbabweans were murdered by ZANU government and party more than 25 years ago. Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa were among the team of evil leaders who authored and planned for Gukurahundi. Neither Robert Gabriel Mugabe nor Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has accepted the responsibility or apologized for the massacre of the 20,000 innocent civilians. Robert Mugabe may even disappear on earth without even saying sorry to the people from Matabeleland and the entire country.
I know that some people may label me a tribalist, but I am 100% confident that the ZANU PF government has done nothing in trying to heal the wounds of Matabeleland brothers and sisters who are still psychologically disturbed by the ZANU massacre. There are reports of some people who are still finding it difficult to obtain birth certificates because their parents were murdered during the ‘moment of madness', the Gukurahundi massacre. Last month, I met with a Gukurahundi victim who told me that, his mother and father were killed before him and was 6 years then. He told me that he was struggling to move on.
Therefore, the only way for the ZANU PF government to silence the public about Gukurahundi massacre is to allow the process of healing and reconciliation to take place. They should learn from the healing and reconciliation that took place in Rwanda following the genocide of 1990s. The victims of Gukurahundi can only be healed and forgive after reconciliation process. The Chihambabwe's Gukurahundi report should be addressed and implemented before we move on as a country.
Kglema Motlanthe's final report recommended that the relatives of the victims of 1 August 2018 should be compensated by the government. How can President ED Mnangagwa and ZANU PF party do that before even accepting responsibility of the Gukurahundi disturbances in Matabeleland? How are the families of the murdered 20,000 innocent civilians going to feel? President ED Mnangagwa is between two hard rocks, the only solution is to rectify the Gukurahundi issue before compensating the families of the murdered 6 civilians by the Zimbabwe army. Compensations should be offered to the families of Gukurahundi before being extended to the Families of the 2018 August 1 victims.
The report asked the government to compensate people whose properties were destroyed during the 1 August 2018 disturbances. The commission went on to list the destroyed properties and amount. How can the government and ZANU PF party do that before even returning the properties forcibly taken from ZAPU party? There are a number of properties apart from lives that were lost during the Gukurahundi disturbances. The cabinet and ZANU PF's hands are tied , they cannot implement a single recommendation of the Kglema Motlanthe's report before addressing the Gukurahundi problem. They need to revisit Chihambakwe's report on Gukurahundi massacre before any move.
The report exposed that MDC-Alliance incited the 2018 August 1 demonstration and violence. People are waiting for the actions that the government is going to take against MDC alliance. It is an open secret that the ZANU party organized, planned, incited and killed more than 20,000 innocent civilians during Gukurahundi. What actions are going to be taken against ZANU party and other Gukurahundi perpetrators? This will make it difficult for ZANU PF government to fairly implement the Kglema Motlanthe commission's report. ZANU PF government and party do not have the moral or religious authority to implement the 2018 August 1 report before settling down the Gukurahundi issue.
It is clear and obvious that ZANU PF government should solve the Gukurahundi issue before handling the report of Kglema Motlanthe's commission. I therefore want to urge the cabinet of president ED Mnangagwa to seek for wisdom before implementing the August 1 report, otherwise the move may strengthen tribalism in our country. They must address the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report before the Kglema Motlanthe's, they need to accept the responsibility of the Gukurahundi atrocities before moving forward.
Conclusion
Zimbabwe cannot move forward before addressing the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report. Implementation of Kglema Motlanthe's report before Chihambabwe's will definitely be a dangerous move for ZANU PF government. They should justify the move before implementing such report of 6 murdered civilians vs. 20,000 innocent civilians killed by ZANU during Gukurahundi. I believe that president ED Mnangagwa does not want to go down the history of Zimbabwe as a tribalist president. Before addressing the Kglema Motlanthe's report, ZANU PF government should handle the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report. There is no genocide better than the other but time and ethnic factors should be considered before handling them. President ED Mnangagwa should seek for wisdom before implementing the Kglema Motlanthe's report ahead of the Chihambakwe's Gukurahundi report.
Don Chigumba is a mixed methods research specialist can be found on twitter @Donchigumba
Source - Don Chigumba
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