Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that his administration is committed to addressing the legacy of Gukurahundi, with public hearings on the emotive issue expected to start in the first quarter of this year.
The public hearings will be led by chiefs in their communities and are part of the process expected to bring closure to Gukurahundi.
Speaking during the fourth interface with chiefs from the Matabeleland region at State House in Bulawayo on Friday, 26 January, Mnangagwa said:
I cannot over-emphasise the fact that this initiative is being implemented for the benefit of our people.
Our commitment to a victim-centred approach remains steadfast, ensuring that the process is not just efficient but also emphatic.
The President said he decided to entrust the National Council of Chiefs, through elected members, to spearhead the initiative to pursue the resolution of the Gukurahundi issue through an internal and home-grown process after extensive consultation with “all” stakeholders. He said:
This decision was not made without some reflection. The National Council of Chiefs, as the custodians of our culture, traditional practices, and values, are best placed to handle this issue through their intimate and close relationship with the people.
As we embarked on this process, we were not unaware of, nor had we forgotten, the external factors that ignited this conflict in our midst.
The decision to resolve this issue on our own, amongst ourselves, is based on the realisation that none but ourselves can determine our destiny as a nation.
Mnangagwa also praised the Matabeleland Collective for its active role in the process since its inception four years ago. He said:
Our journey has been marked by collaboration with various organisations, civic societies, faith-based groups, and Chiefs from Matabeleland North and South.
The President said the Government has capacitated over 1 008 service providers, including chiefs from the affected regions, and trained them to conduct the Gukurahundi Community Outreach Programme.
He said the budget for the Gukurahundi Community Outreach Programme was in place, adding that the amount set aside will be reviewed before being made public.
Gukurahundi refers to the killing of thousands of mainly Ndebele civilians carried out by the Zimbabwe National Army in the 1980s.
The term Gukurahundi is derived from a ChiShona term which loosely translates to “the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains.”
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