Gukurahundi How It Came About and Who It Affected and the Matabeleland Genocide

Gukurahundi was started by ZANU-PF soon after independence in areas of Manicaland, particularly Chipinge, and all areas of Mashonaland. The killings had started before independence, but were then termed politicisation.

There was a white journalist working for the Manica Post at the height of the actual Gukurahundi as it started soon after independence. This gentleman was approached with facts at hand and he refused to take the cases up with any paper internal or international. At this particular time killings were played lowly though beatings, torture were at its highest. This was now an independent state and killings had to be limited and concealed. ZAPU leadership was unable to visit these areas despite its support, it was dangerous. This made these people absolutely leaderless and without a voice hence helpless. All other parties like ZANU Ndonga, Dzakutsaku suffered badly. Homes, plots, farms, and all other properties that belonged to members of ZAPU and other parties were raided, and dug up for weapons. Owners were tortured, beaten and murdered in some cases.

Most of the perpetrators of these crimes came from an army intelligence unit ZIC, CIO and mostly the assemble point Dzapasi, based at Zaka which provided members that eventually  formed Five(5) Brigade.

At the height of these killings and torture Robert Mugabe then Prime Minister went to address a rally at Gutu growth point. This rally almost cost him his life. An assignation had been organised by Perence Shiri and a few other senior Masvingo ZANU-PF members. They captured two former ZIPRA combatants and went with them to this rally. One of the two ZIPRA cadres was ordered to run directly to where Mugabe was standing as he addressed the rally. The assassin aimed at Mugabe and hit just under the pulpit he was addressing from. At the same time the running trooper was fired at by another person and got a bullet on the heel of his right foot. During this hail of bullets at Mugabe, his security personnel literally lifted him into his car. He had come by helicopter but he left it and used his car back to Harare. The other former ZIPRA solder was told to running towards the same direction as the other but received nearly twenty bullet holes on his back. Perence Shiri shouted that ZIPRA had tried to kill Mugabe, and shouted many times. He was the senior ZANLA commander on the area and was believed. He shouted that ZIPRA should be killed, eliminated and all. He was believed by all that were there that day because their plan had failed due to an incompetent assassin.

This fuelled hatred among ZANU-PF members and ZAPU, ZIPRA and all the supporters had to pay.

Going back on the Gukurahundi, no reports came out from any where, no one was ever listened to by the police or anybody it worked well for ZANU-PF.

Time had come for Matabeland and the Midlands or those that were of Ndebele origin or of that region that had no Shona surnames.
As Gukurahundi had worked so well in all these areas, turning people to their support, it was hoped the same would happen in Matabeleland, but there had to be a reason of believability. Its complex and long but in short dissidents were planted in Matabeleland, the choice was those from Dzapasi who had operated in the areas of Matabeleland during the war and could speak the language. This was the work of the former Rhodesian Army(CIO) and senior former ZANLA officers and announced at a JOC meeting in Harare.

Five Brigade went into action. The result was not of the Gukurahundi which had been seen in other areas it was GENOCIDE. Pregnant women were cut open, children watched as their parents were murdered in cold blood. Some were locked into huts and set on fire, it was GENOCIDE. 20 ZIPRA combatants put in a 2.5 metre deep hole/pit, six by six feet at the bottom. Many things happened to write them here. Some former ZIPRA cadres' burnt bodies were found as far as Gonareshou game park, we still remember. ZANU hoped that the silence known in other areas would be carried to both Matabeleland and the Midlands. They forgot that some leaders lived in those areas and GENOCIDE would never go unnoticed.

ZANU-PF criminals had managed to divide the country on tribal lines, cause fear, destroy leaders and hide some of their actions without shame. As another writer stated history will be revealed.

It is unfortunate that people from Zimbabwe have not real known what happened to them all by a gang of ZANU-PF mafia.