BY SHARON SIBINDI CENTRE for Innovation and Technology (CITE) director Zenzele Ndebele has said his Gukurahundi documentaries were not meant for attention seeking or funding, but justice against the perpetrators.
Ndebele made the remarks on Monday during the launch of a Gukurahundi documentary titled One Night in 1985 that revolves around 11 men from Silobela who were abducted in January 1985.
The documentary is part of this year’s Asakhe Film Festival which began on Monday under the theme The Power of Memory, with curtains coming down on Saturday.
“We feel honoured that we have done a documentary and there are families that represent those people who are the subject of the documentary today.
“My first documentary on Gukurahundi was in 2006 and that was before CITE,” he said.
“When we started CITE, we continued to do documentation on the issues of transitional justice, specifically Gukurahundi.
“We are not doing this because we are seeking attention, or we want money, we are also professionals, actually we could be doing better jobs.”
Ndebele said he was not a politician neither was he doing the documentaries to settle scores.
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“When we talk about Gukurahundi, we are not politicking, we are not politicians, we are not writing a donor proposal, we are talking about something that happened and we will say it today, yesterday, tomorrow whether they want, they are screaming, they are making noise, we will say it until they hear it,” he said.
“We are also learning from them, look at sanctions, look at how they are mobilising…. I like the strategy of advocacy, they are covering every corner.
“What stops us from making Gukurahundi not only a national issue, not an Ibhetshu LikaZulu issue, but a regional issue, an international issue?
“When are we going to have a demonstration in New York, demanding justice for Gukurahundi?
“When are we going to have a Sadc solidarity day on Gukurahundi?
“I know the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) has said let’s talk about it, but how are we going to talk about it when memorial plaques are destroyed.”
The documentary launch was attended by representatives of civic society, Gukurahundi victims including Open Society Initiative for southern Africa director Sipho Malunga, among others.
Follow Sharon on Twitter @SibindiSharon
