Opinion / Columnist
Ibhetshu lika Zulu speaks on Mnangagwa's Gukurahundi plan
10 Apr 2019 at 14:59hrs | Views
We note that finally, the acknowledgement by the government that Gukurahundi genocide took place in our history as a country, after so much denial and unnecessary violation of the rights of those that brought it to their attention, however we are happy that our efforts have not been totally in vain.
Ibhetshu Lika Zulu, however has some concerns over the government position and suspect that if the issues we wish to raise here are not addressed, the sincerity of the government to bring this issue to closure will be questioned.
1. Government must firstly of all acknowledge that this was genocide, encourage truth telling, the surviving brigade commanders, and security officers that implemented the annihilation of their fellow country men must come out in the open, apologize, show remorse and seek forgiveness from the survivors, this initiative without truth telling is empty.
2. The Government must put a law in place that acknowledges this sad past of our history, criminalize the denial of it, encouraging the open discussion on it with no enforcing legal instrument is empty, history has shown in other countries that were affected by genocide.
3. The government must be clear,the compensation it offers to the survivors and families of the victims of Gukurahundi genocide, from our experience over the years, compensation can be multi-pronged, in restorative justice form the government must come up with the Gukurahundi Affected Areas Equalisation Fund, that will seek to address infrastructural inequalities deliberately created by the government. This will go towards roads, clinics, schools, schools, other facilities destroyed by Gukurahundi and scholarship. This money will should be about 5% of the budget to be shared between Midlands, Bulawayo, Matebeleland North and Matebeleland South. It should remain in law for the next 37years, counting from 1982 to the present.
There should be a specific compensation also addressed to the families that lost their loved ones, most people there loss their bread winners and have lived in abject poverty and the excruciating pain for 37 years, thus although life can not be brought back but a some compensation can bring a bit of comfort.
4. There should be a law put in place that will acknowledge this past and outlaw such n activity in the future, empowering members of the security forces to disobey instructions that give birth to genocide, this will stop such activities from taking place n our future and will bring a sense of security to the general populace.
5. We also pray that the government in addressing this will refer this task to constitutional bodies like the NPRC and the ZHRC commission among other such bodies, making use of the voluntary bodies may contaminate the process and bring confusion, thus the government is advised to do all the necessary processes to operationalise these independent bodies that have to carryout this task.
Mbuso Fuzwayo
Secretary General
Ibhetshu Likazulu
Ibhetshu Lika Zulu, however has some concerns over the government position and suspect that if the issues we wish to raise here are not addressed, the sincerity of the government to bring this issue to closure will be questioned.
1. Government must firstly of all acknowledge that this was genocide, encourage truth telling, the surviving brigade commanders, and security officers that implemented the annihilation of their fellow country men must come out in the open, apologize, show remorse and seek forgiveness from the survivors, this initiative without truth telling is empty.
2. The Government must put a law in place that acknowledges this sad past of our history, criminalize the denial of it, encouraging the open discussion on it with no enforcing legal instrument is empty, history has shown in other countries that were affected by genocide.
3. The government must be clear,the compensation it offers to the survivors and families of the victims of Gukurahundi genocide, from our experience over the years, compensation can be multi-pronged, in restorative justice form the government must come up with the Gukurahundi Affected Areas Equalisation Fund, that will seek to address infrastructural inequalities deliberately created by the government. This will go towards roads, clinics, schools, schools, other facilities destroyed by Gukurahundi and scholarship. This money will should be about 5% of the budget to be shared between Midlands, Bulawayo, Matebeleland North and Matebeleland South. It should remain in law for the next 37years, counting from 1982 to the present.
There should be a specific compensation also addressed to the families that lost their loved ones, most people there loss their bread winners and have lived in abject poverty and the excruciating pain for 37 years, thus although life can not be brought back but a some compensation can bring a bit of comfort.
4. There should be a law put in place that will acknowledge this past and outlaw such n activity in the future, empowering members of the security forces to disobey instructions that give birth to genocide, this will stop such activities from taking place n our future and will bring a sense of security to the general populace.
5. We also pray that the government in addressing this will refer this task to constitutional bodies like the NPRC and the ZHRC commission among other such bodies, making use of the voluntary bodies may contaminate the process and bring confusion, thus the government is advised to do all the necessary processes to operationalise these independent bodies that have to carryout this task.
Mbuso Fuzwayo
Secretary General
Ibhetshu Likazulu
Source - Byo24News
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