Swiss Ambassador accused of meddling in Gukurahundi hearings

Switzerland's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Stephane Rey, has come under fire for allegedly interfering in the Gukurahundi hearings, with accusations that his actions are aimed at sabotaging the sensitive reconciliation process and sowing division among Zimbabweans.

Rey is reported to have held a series of meetings with traditional leaders, the Attorney-General, government officials, and affected communities in the Matabeleland region to discuss the emotive Gukurahundi issue. Critics view these engagements as attempts to manipulate the upcoming hearings and derail efforts at national healing.

Earlier this year, Rey publicly supported the government's compensation initiative for investors affected during the land reform programme, and during a courtesy call on Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda in February, he reiterated Switzerland's commitment to peace-building and outreach programmes tied to the Gukurahundi process.

"We talked about Switzerland's long-standing support to Zimbabwe since 2015 in the field of peace-building," Rey said at the time. "We supported the training of traditional chiefs. This is part of our very discreet support to Zimbabwean national priorities, the priority of national reconciliation."

However, the ambassador's involvement has triggered a backlash, particularly from advocacy groups in Matabeleland.

In a statement dated April 23, Mgcini Ncube, Chairman of Abantwana BoMzabalazo  -  a group representing children of Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) veterans  -  accused Rey of neo-colonial interference.

"It has come to our attention that the Swiss ambassador, cloaked in the robes of diplomacy, has been engaging in covert meetings with traditional leaders, the Attorney-General, government officials, and vulnerable communities in Matabeleland," Ncube said.

"His mission is to manipulate the sacred Gukurahundi hearings, derail reconciliation, and fracture the very unity upon which our nation's future depends."

Ncube condemned the alleged interference as an unacceptable intrusion into Zimbabwe's internal affairs, calling it "an assault on Zimbabwe's path toward reconciliation and sustainable development" and "a direct attempt to sabotage our 2030 development agenda."

He also alleged that under the pretense of cultural exchanges and development partnerships, the Swiss embassy has hosted secretive sessions in Bulawayo, Plumtree, and Gwanda, where traditional leaders were reportedly pressured to adopt biased narratives.

"Traditional leaders, custodians of our cultural identity and community justice, are being courted with promises of funding and prestige, in exchange for muting grassroots voices in Matabeleland," Ncube added.

He further questioned Switzerland's sudden interest in Zimbabwe's internal matters, suggesting it was part of a broader Western agenda to destabilize and dominate African nations, drawing comparisons with historical Western interventions in Libya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ncube insisted that the Gukurahundi hearings must remain a community-led, African-driven process, free from external influence.

"These hearings are not tools for foreign experiments. They are sacred processes initiated by Zimbabweans, for Zimbabweans, to confront painful truths, bring justice to victims, and lay the foundation for national unity," he said.

As Zimbabwe moves ahead with the Gukurahundi outreach under the National Council of Chiefs, tensions around foreign involvement threaten to cast a shadow over what many hope will be a decisive step toward healing one of the nation's deepest wounds.