President Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans must continue to discuss Gukurahundi’s “public acceptance and understanding” of what happened during the dark period in the country’s history, to ensure such events do not happen again.
In February 2019, President Mnangagwa embarked on an initiative to pursue resolution of the Gukurahundi issue through an internal and local process that would invite the participation of all those affected. Preserving and strengthening national unity among Zimbabweans.
To this end, the country has made tremendous progress, and public hearings in Gukurahundi are expected to begin soon – through a process led by traditional leaders.
In a recent interview with Brick by Brick magazine, the President said that there is a sense of collective responsibility among all stakeholders, who are speaking out to address this controversial issue and find a lasting solution to it.
“When we meet, we discuss what happened in the past, the impact of what happened and what we do today to mitigate that impact and avoid such things from happening again.
“Why did this happen, we must discuss it openly and everyone must understand and accept the situation that happened. We should not allow such events to happen again because we must talk to each other. Both sides must talk to each other,” the president said. Some say this was not true.”
Asked if the reactions were positive, the president said there was “enthusiasm” about the discussions.
We have held several meetings, and if you were able to attend, you would have seen the enthusiasm shown by the Second Republic to resolve this issue. “She brought an approach of collective responsibility and collective planning,” the president said.
The public hearings, which will be led by their community leaders, aim to address the legacy of Gukurahundi, a period of conflict that affected some parts of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the 1980s.
President Mnangagwa has demonstrated his commitment to facilitating processes that will end post-independence conflicts, as part of his vision of nation-building and strengthening national unity.
During his fourth meeting with traditional leaders from the Matabeleland region recently, the President said his administration was determined to ensure that the process was effective and robust, keeping the best interests of the people in mind.
“I cannot overemphasize the fact that this initiative is being implemented for the benefit of our people. Our commitment to the victim-centred approach remains steadfast, ensuring that the process is not only effective, but proven.
“This decision was not taken without some thought. The National Council of Chiefs, as the custodian of our traditional culture, practices and values, is best placed to deal with this issue through its intimate and close relationship with the people.
“As we embarked on this process, we were neither ignorant nor forgotten of the external factors that ignited this conflict between us. The decision to resolve this issue ourselves, among ourselves, is based on the realization that no one else can decide our fate as a nation.
President Mnangagwa urged those involved in this process to be vigilant against external influences that seek to derail the process and plunge the country into a state of internal disputes and conflicts. Announce
