The Unity Accord signed between Zanu PF with Zapu in 1987 has absolutely nothing to do with the Gukurahundi massacres and discussing the massacres does not in any way “undermine efforts by our national leaders to reunite the people . . .”, neither does, “. . . discussing such issues open healed wounds . . .” as suggested by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
It’s got absolutely nothing to do with “statesmanship” or lack thereof, exhibited by President Robert Mugabe and the late Dr Joshua Nkomo in signing the so-called Unity Accord.
The 1987 Unity Accord was a superficial agreement between a lion and a zebra, in which the latter was devoured.
It is exactly because of this superficial approach to unity that the Gukurahundi nightmare is refusing to go away.
How can it go away when it was never tabled for discussion with the stakeholders — the affected persons?
All President Mugabe and the late Dr Nkomo managed to do was stop further carnage in the affected areas, but they never even scratched the surface of the atrocities that were committed.
President Mugabe and the late Dr Nkomo could not simply wave the magic wand and say, Abracadabra . . . the Gukurahundi massacres are dead and forgotten, because we say so! No . . . that could not be!
Both did not and do not have the capacity to settle the issue outside the victims.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Neither of them had the mandate of the victims to discuss and settle the issues on behalf of the victims.
Neither does discussing Gukurahundi massacres divide the nation, for it was not the Shonas against the Ndebeles, no!
It was a certain group of individuals, with the blessing of specific State actors, who decided to preside over these extra-judicial killings and excesses.
If anything, the only way to deal with and bring closure to the with massacres is to engage, discuss them and make reparations.
It is the same culprits who are now seeking to escape responsibility by systemically rubbing and massaging this evil debacle into and attempting to make it a Shona and Ndebele issue.
It’s got absolutely nothing to do with Shona and Ndebele people. It simply is a case of extra-judicial killings and crimes, committed by certain individuals, against people in Matabeleland and the Midlands, accompanied by a truculent and stubborn obduracy, by the same people, in refusing to acknowledge and accept responsibility for same.
The Shonas are just as livid about these cruel and senseless massacres as the Ndebeles and also want culprits to be brought to book.
Far from reopening the wounds, the wounds have never closed or healed and are dripping wet with blood to this very day and the bodies of the dead victims are crying louder and louder for justice with each day that passes.
Strange enough, it is the same people who say discussing Gukurahundi massacres will open old wounds, who are quick to go around digging up and displaying grisly-looking dead bodies from the supposed war of liberation, which happened much earlier than the Gukurahundi massacres, whose bodies they do not want exhumed.
When it comes to opening old wounds to their advantage, they have absolutely zero compunction and they will go to any lengths! Can there be a worse case of duplicity?
There is a mistaken belief on the part of certain individuals that they will always be in control and, therefore, will always keep a lid on this simmering pot forever.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Judgment day will come . . !
No one can commit such wanton excesses at such an industrial scale and expect to get away with it.
It’s one thing to legitimately go after dissidents, and it’s quite another to commit wholesale maiming and massacres of people, in the name of going after such dissidents, and destroy property and livelihoods in the process.
The wheels of justice may grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.
Someone is going to pay for these evils . . . believe me. I do not know why people cannot learn from history.
It shouldn’t even be about fearing reprisals, it should be about doing the right and logical thing following some wrongdoing.
Why not simply admit what was done wrong, name and shame perpetrators, and ask for forgiveness and, reconcile with the aggrieved and the nation and, make reparations, and we can all live happily ever after?
We shall continue to shine the torch on this sad part of our history until the guilty are embarrassed enough to come out in the open and own up.
