Gukurahundi was necessary on national radio

On the 7th October 2016 Mr Yanga Mhluzi PR officer for Siphesakhe Youth Organisation and Mr Ayanda Manala who is its chief researcher and renowned international human rights activist were interviewed on SA FM regarding their gukurahundi play called uLoyiko (fear).

The gukurahundi genocide is a genocide which happened in Zimbabwe from 1982 to 1987 against the Ndebele people. Last week Jonathan Moyo the Minister of Higher Education was reburrying his father who was mercilessly killed by gukurahundi in 1982.

Mr Ayanda Manala articulated the genesis of the genocide tracing it to 1963 when ZANU PF split up from ZAPU purely on tribal basis. "The gukurahundi genocide was based on the need to turn Zimbabwe into a Shona tribal state which sought Shona domination in every sphere of life..." Mr Manala explained. He further explained that in 1979 in London ZANU pf drafted a document called the Grand Plan which explained how Zimbabwe was going to be ruled post independence. The Grand Plan's major aim was to Shonalise the Zimbabwean State, to ensure that Ndebeles were curtailed from progressing as a people, they were to be forced to return to SA, their culture was to be mutilated, their language bastardised, denied employment opportunities, denied educational opportunities and any opportunities in life as it is happening today.

"The aim of uLoyiko theatre play is to expose the gukurahundi genocide, some erroneously think that it was about political power but it was actually a tribal domination project based on hatred of the Ndebele people" explained Mr Manala.

Mr Yanga Mhluzi said that when he was growing up he knew of Mugabe as a hero but since he started his research he has discovered that Mugabe is nothing but a murderer who hijacked the revolution. Mr Mhluzi was alarmed by the disdain treatment of the Ndebele people in Zimbabwe up to this day, "how come come all spheres of life are occupied by Shonas, how can Shona teachers teach at primary schools in Matebeleland, why do Shonas occupy all public and private organisations in Matebeleland? Mr Mhluzi seriously questioned the motive behind the Shona deployment in Matebeleland.

A caller who called himself Mbuso called in and thanked Mr Manala and Mr Mhluzi for their uLoyiko play which seeks to reveal the truth about the gukurahundi genocide.

"Gukurahundi was necessary, I am a Shona guy who hails from Kwekwe and married to a beautiful Ndebele woman, ZAPU had a small army of dissidents which killed innocent people, the government had to intervene..." a caller who wanted to be known as David thundered.

Mr Manala was clearly bemused and riled by these baseless utterances from David who justified genocide against innocent civilians. Mr Manala pointed out that he did not even think that David was married to a Ndebele woman, he went on to refute the outrageous utterances from David by laying bare the facts "...the so called dissidents were a creation of ZANU, the 5th brigade did not catch or kill even one dissident but slaughtered more than 20000 defenceless civilians...if they were looking for dissidents how come they even killed pregnant women and children"

The gukurahundi genocide is an albatross on the neck of the Zimbabwean state, the reason why today there is no change of government is due to the fear of what will happen due to this genocide. The uLoyiko theatre play has torched a storm in story which has been seen and treated as too sensitive and too controversial by the Zimbabwe government and the SADC community. That myth has been broken and now no one can stop the truth being told and justice being demanded.

By the look of it it is highly likely that SA FM will do another session where they will invite Mr Manala and Mr Mhluzi into the studio with Mthwakazi academics who have done research on gukurahundi genocide. If there is an apt time of telling the story of the gukurahundi genocide then now is the time.