Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UNOHCHR) has said it is concerned about reports which say Gukurahundi continues to be a source of ethnic tension in Zimbabwe.
The atrocities happened in the 80 in the aftermath of independence when the late former president Robert Mugabe deployed a North Korean-trained fifth brigade to “deal” with alleged dissidents in Midlands and Matabeleland provinces. About 20 000 people were killed.
There have been calls on the government to bring perpetrators to book but Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi recently told a UN conference that authorities were handicapped by a general amnesty declaration that was issued by Mugabe in 1987.
That suggests that the government won’t take action. Pindula News presents a statement issued by the OHCHR:
Zimbabwe
The Committee was disturbed by reports that the Gukurahundi atrocities, which resulted in the killing of around 20,000 Ndebele speakers in the 1980s, continue to be a source of ethnic tension, with many victims remaining traumatized and barred from participating in mourning and commemorative activities by State agents. It urged Zimbabwe to take measures to ensure that mourning and commemorative activities can be conducted without restrictions or threats. It also called on the State party to ensure that the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission fulfils its responsibilities to provide a platform for post-conflict public truth-telling.
The Committee also expressed concern that legislation to protect labour rights and prevent discrimination does not explicitly cover the informal sector and domestic work, which are dominated by Black women who face low wages, poor working conditions and racist, dehumanizing treatment. It requested that Zimbabwe amend its labour laws to explicitly cover the informal sector and domestic work, and take measures to address discrimination on the intersecting grounds of race, class and gender in all areas of employment.
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