Gukurahundi hearings begin reopening old wounds

Public hearings into the Gukurahundi massacres, an initiative spearheaded by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, are set to commence tomorrow amid rising concerns from survivors, civil society, and analysts that the process could inflame rather than heal long-standing wounds unless handled with sensitivity and transparency.

The government has tasked traditional leaders with leading the hearings, which aim to provide closure to one of Zimbabwe's darkest chapters - the mass killings of civilians in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands during the 1980s. Over 20,000 people are believed to have been killed by the North Korea-trained 5 Brigade, deployed by then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe under the guise of hunting down so-called dissidents.

According to the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, the violence was part of a broader political campaign to crush opposition and consolidate power into a de facto one-party state under Zanu-PF.

While government officials have indicated that victims could receive compensation, critics argue that the process is being rushed and lacks accountability. A Gukurahundi survivor who declined to be named told NewsDay that compensation without full truth-telling and acknowledgment of responsibility was meaningless.

"There is no price for a dead person in our culture. The government is skipping crucial steps. We must first know what led to the killings, who ordered them, and why. How can you compensate when there hasn't even been an admission of guilt?" the survivor said.

He accused the government of politicising the process, saying some leaders were using the hearings to gain political mileage while ignoring the trauma still felt by affected communities.

"The 5 Brigade didn't act on its own. Someone gave the orders. And now that same someone wants to dictate how we should grieve and heal. That's unacceptable," he said.

The survivor also raised concerns over reports that the media will be barred from covering the hearings, describing the move as suspicious and likely to discourage participation.

Ibhetshu LikaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo echoed these sentiments, accusing the government of trying to downplay the gravity of the atrocities.

"This is an issue of national significance. It should not be treated as a secret affair. Survivors want transparency. They want justice, not a cosmetic process," Fuzwayo said.

Political analyst Ruben Mbofana was even more critical, suggesting the hearings are merely a symbolic gesture lacking the necessary components of accountability and justice.

"If you compare this to how Rwanda handled its genocide, or how Nazi leaders were tried in the Nuremberg Trials, or even the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa - Zimbabwe's process falls far short," said Mbofana.

"For true healing, the perpetrators must be held to account. But here, we have the very individuals or institutions implicated in the violence now leading the so-called reconciliation. It's a charade. As long as there is no justice, this is child's play."

He argued that genuine reconciliation is impossible without prosecutions of those responsible.

"There must be legal accountability. Without trials, without naming and shaming those responsible, without even an admission of guilt, this process is hollow," he said.

Despite the criticisms, government has maintained that the hearings will proceed and that traditional leaders, as custodians of communities, are best suited to handle the delicate task. However, the spotlight remains firmly on how these hearings will unfold and whether they will lead to genuine healing - or deepen existing mistrust.