Secrecy shrouds launch of Gukurahundi public hearings

Zimbabwe's long-awaited public hearings on the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities officially began today under a cloud of secrecy and mounting criticism, with observers and victims' groups describing the process as opaque, intimidating, and unlikely to deliver justice or closure.

Despite being billed as a major step toward national healing, the hearings are being held in private, with journalists barred and details about the format and panel members kept confidential. Only one victim at a time is allowed to appear before a panel said to consist of traditional elders, clergy, youth, and women's representatives.

Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs, Chief Fortune Charumbira, confirmed last week that the sessions would not be open to the media or public. President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed traditional leaders to spearhead the hearings, a move that has drawn widespread scepticism due to the lack of clarity and independence.

The Gukurahundi massacres, carried out by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands between 1983 and 1987, left an estimated 20,000 civilians dead. Mnangagwa, who was State Security Minister at the time, has been heavily implicated in the violence and is now overseeing the reconciliation process.

Critics, including political leaders, civil society organisations, and victims' associations, have condemned the hearings as a sham.

Mqondisi Moyo, leader of the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP), described the process as an attempt to "manipulate the narrative and silence victims."

"This is not about justice. Victims are being asked to stand before a group of over 10 unknown individuals - most likely ZANU PF loyalists - and recount their trauma. It's a recipe for intimidation and retraumatisation," Moyo said.

He added that many survivors fear the process could be used to identify and persecute remaining witnesses.

"The approach contradicts the United Nations' guidelines on reparation and victim participation. It lacks transparency and fails to provide a safe, inclusive space for victims to be heard."

ZAPU leader Sibangilizwe Nkomo echoed those concerns, saying the hearings resembled the same coercive tactics used during Gukurahundi.

"To be told to face an unfamiliar panel, one by one, to speak of atrocities that have haunted us for decades - it is unacceptable. This is not how truth and reconciliation should work," he said.

Former Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo was equally scathing, accusing traditional leaders of shielding the state from accountability.

"It's a betrayal. Chiefs are now aiding the cover-up instead of helping uncover the truth. The whole process appears designed to protect the perpetrators, not support the victims," he said.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) western region chairperson Ambrose Sibindi questioned the impartiality of the panel and the final destination of the testimonies.

"Many of the chiefs themselves were affected by the violence, directly or indirectly. Who will compile the final report? If it's the government - the same government accused of committing the atrocities - then the outcome is already compromised," Sibindi warned.

There are also growing concerns about the psychological toll on victims expected to relive their trauma under restrictive and unfamiliar conditions.

While the government insists the process is aimed at truth-telling and healing, the lack of independence, transparency, and broad public consultation has undermined confidence in the initiative.

For many, today's launch is not a step toward justice, but another painful reminder of unresolved wounds and missed opportunities for genuine reconciliation.