Bulawayo – A heavy silence hung over State House in Bulawayo as President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially launched the Gukurahundi Community Engagement Outreach Programme. The air was thick with the weight of history, the ghosts of a brutal past still lingering in the minds of many.
The programme, spearheaded by traditional chiefs in Matabeleland, is intended to address the horrific events of the 1980s, a period known as Gukurahundi, when thousands of civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces were brutally murdered by the Zimbabwean military. Independent estimates suggest that over 20,000 people lost their lives during those dark years.
This outreach programme, however, has been met with a mix of cautious hope and deep skepticism. While some see it as a long-awaited step towards healing and reconciliation, others view it as a cynical attempt to whitewash the past and deflect responsibility from those who orchestrated the atrocities.
President Mnangagwa, who served as state security minister under the then Robert Mugabe administration, has been implicated as one of the key figures behind Gukurahundi. He has repeatedly denied any personal involvement in the killings, blaming the atrocities on “detractors” who sought to destabilize the newly independent nation.
“History records that all internal divisions amongst us as a people have been instigated by our detractors in various guises through generations,” Mnangagwa stated during his address.
“It is our detractors who worked tirelessly to pit one tribe against the other during the colonial era. These oppressors sought to sow seeds of division amongst liberation struggle fighters and within communities. Their interference and machinations were designed to divide us and consequently created our post-independence conflicts. We are aware that the same forces have not abandoned their ultimate goal of thwarting the realisation of our determination to remain as united Zimbabweans.”
His words, however, ring a bit sanitized for many who remember the chilling reality of Gukurahundi. The military operation, ostensibly aimed at hunting down dissidents, was characterized by widespread brutality and systematic targeting of civilians. The victims, primarily Ndebele people, were accused of supporting the dissidents, a label often applied arbitrarily and without due process.
Activists and human rights groups have condemned the outreach programme, arguing that it lacks any genuine commitment to truth-telling and accountability. They point out that the programme is being conducted under a tightly controlled government framework, with little room for independent investigation or genuine dialogue.
“This is not about healing, it’s about control,” said a prominent human rights lawyer, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. “The government is trying to dictate the narrative, to silence the voices of the victims and prevent any real accountability for the atrocities.”
The programme’s focus on “community engagement” has also drawn criticism. Some argue that it is a deliberate attempt to bypass the need for a formal truth and reconciliation process, which would require a more comprehensive and transparent approach to addressing the past.
The outreach programme is set to begin in earnest in the coming weeks, with traditional chiefs leading the process of engaging with survivors. However, the programme’s success hinges on its ability to address the core issues of truth, justice, and accountability.
