Opinion / Columnist
FULL TEXT: Ibhetshu likaZulu statement on Gukurahundi healing process
12 Feb 2024 at 11:53hrs | Views
Ibhetshu likaZulu has noted with extreme concern the Government of Zimbabwe's defiance of the constitution, its remorseless lack of empathy to the survivors of Gukurahundi and those that lost their lives, after executing genocide, one of the heinous crimes in human history.
People of Zimbabwe spoke with one voice in the 2013 constitution that they wanted an independent commission to tackle a national healing process thus, the birth of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission which was supposed to an independent commission, the government which is a chief perpetrator has ignored this constitutional body, failed to furnish it with resources and also killed its independence but turning it into an executive commission.
On 28 June 2019 in their interface with the President of Zimbabwe, the chiefs made it abundantly clear that they are not equipped to deal with a complex matter like Gukurahundi Genocide because they have no required skills and there is no legislation that empowers them to carry-out this activity. We sadly note that the government of Zimbabwe that is the perpetrator of Genocide has gone ahead and pushed this task on the backs of the chiefs, this shows that the government which to this day has failed even to produce the Chihambakwe commission report is not sincere and has chosen to play political public relations with the pain of our people, this is deeply worrying.
It is more worrying that this exercise is co-ordinated by the office of the President who is the commander in chief of the army that massacred over 20 000 of the innocent Zimbabweans, it is even worse now that the sitting president was on the ground to see the success of this genocide.
We have always held an informed view that a sound healing process after the genocide must be survivor oriented not forced on the survivors by the perpetrator, there can never be true national healing without truth telling and justice for the survivors, this perpetrator driven initiative is just a talk
People of Zimbabwe spoke with one voice in the 2013 constitution that they wanted an independent commission to tackle a national healing process thus, the birth of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission which was supposed to an independent commission, the government which is a chief perpetrator has ignored this constitutional body, failed to furnish it with resources and also killed its independence but turning it into an executive commission.
It is more worrying that this exercise is co-ordinated by the office of the President who is the commander in chief of the army that massacred over 20 000 of the innocent Zimbabweans, it is even worse now that the sitting president was on the ground to see the success of this genocide.
We have always held an informed view that a sound healing process after the genocide must be survivor oriented not forced on the survivors by the perpetrator, there can never be true national healing without truth telling and justice for the survivors, this perpetrator driven initiative is just a talk
Source - Mbuso Fuzwayo
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