Newsday

2 April 2016

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe was reportedly offered asylum by his then Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade in the aftermath of his electoral loss to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai at the 2008 polls, former Education minister David Coltart has claimed.
In his autobiography, The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny, Coltart said former South African President Nelson Mandela had a very low opinion of Mugabe and thought his successor Thabo Mbeki understood the Zimbabwean leader better.
Mugabe lost the first round of voting to Tsvangirai only to force through a violent run-off whose outcome was rejected by the international community and the opposition at home.

As diplomatic efforts to resolve the impasse in Harare continued following the disputed 2002 presidential elections, Coltart said in October 2003 he and former Finance minister Tendai Biti met Wade in Dakar and presented him with a dossier of events in Harare.

The meeting triggered a chain of events that sucked in the Senegalese leader, including a reported altercation with Mbeki over Mugabe.

“We handed him a dossier cataloguing human rights abuses and electoral fraud in Zimbabwe,” Coltart wrote.

“Being a lawyer himself, Wade was interested to hear the views of two Zimbabwean lawyers. He was sympathetic, and he told us that he would do what he could to get sense to prevail.

“Wade became critical of Thabo Mbeki’s failure to be more proactive in Zimbabwe. In 2009 he offered Mugabe asylum, saying ‘My friend Mugabe does not want to make concessions, we are at a dead end, he can no longer govern the country alone’.”

It was also reported that earlier Wade visited Zimbabwe in 2007, where he had a tense meeting with Mugabe over the deteriorating situation in the country.

Biti confirmed the meetings and that Mugabe had offers for asylum from a lot of other countries.
“Wade was part of a new crop of African leaders that found it unpalatable for an old nationalist leader to bog down the continent. We had (John) Kufuor in Ghana, (Mwai) Kibaki in Kenya and a very different (Yoweri) Museveni in Uganda,” he said.

“Mbeki himself was relatively new and Mugabe had become so politically unfashionable that everyone was offering him an opening.”

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said he had not read Coltart’s book and could not say much.
“I would not want to comment much because I have not read the book. But I do not know anything about that (asylum),” he said.

Following a State visit to Harare in November 2007, Wade told reporters in Harare that Mbeki had no monopoly on finding a solution to the Zimbabwe crisis.

“We should, at the level of Heads of State, together with brother Mbeki, undertake mediation. I think that Zimbabwe should be treated as an African problem, to be solved by all African leaders,” he was quoted as saying.

“Thabo Mbeki does not have the sole right to meet with Mugabe. Mbeki has done a lot, but the problem has not been solved.”

Wade’s visit to Harare had been postponed twice as relations between him and Mugabe remained clouded by suspicion.

After meeting with Wade, Coltart said he had stopped over in South Africa before a chance meeting with revered anti-apartheid icon Mandela.

Coltart said he had explained to Mandela that “because of his deep-rooted fears, Mugabe was unlikely to give up real power through dialogue” and Mbeki needed to appreciate that given the latter’s “policy of quiet diplomacy”.

“Madiba [Mandela’s clan name] responded by saying that Mbeki was a shrewd politician who understood Mugabe, but that he was also in danger of losing Africa on the issue — something he could not afford,” the former legislator wrote, adding Mandela had spoken of his personal clashes with Mugabe including a threat to walk out on regional bloc Sadc if “Mugabe was allowed to continue his antics”.

Mandela, according to Coltart, told him most regional leaders were scared of Mugabe except former Malawian President Bakili Muluzi.

“He [Mandela] said that other regional leaders, save for President Muluzi, feared Mugabe and would not stand up to him, complicating Mbeki’s ability to deal with the situation,” Coltart said.

Coltart also disclosed there had been a plan to bring African leaders Kufuor, Kibaki and Botswana’s Festus Mogae in an effort to aid Mbeki’s mediation efforts.

“That they in turn approach Mbeki in a supportive and understanding manner to strengthen his arm in dealing with Mugabe, without alienating Mbeki from the rest of Africa. I expressed the hope that Madiba could encourage that process as Mugabe, he [Mandela] said, ‘didn’t appear to care about his people or the economy’,” the former Education minister wrote.

However, while Mandela had shown willingness to help in finding a solution, he had reservations about Mugabe’s ability to take advice.

“Madiba replied that he did not think he would be ‘very welcome in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe’. I responded by saying that tyrants come and go and that I looked forward to the opportunity of welcoming him to my constituency one fine day.

“I then stressed that his role was best behind the scenes and that he should be involved in ‘quiet diplomacy’ within the ANC,” the book says.

Coltart’s book has so far proved to be a treasure trove of historical information, upsetting Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who at one point threatened to sue after the book quoted him allegedly making hate speech.

Radio VOP

30 March 2016

By Staff Reporter

Harare, March 30, 2016 – PROFESSOR Welshman Ncube’s MDC has stood by party top official David Coltart who is under fire for allegedly publishing falsehoods concerning political rivals.

The former education minister, who is also MDC Secretary for Legal and Constitutional Affairs, recently launched his book entitled “The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe”.

The controversial book attempts to lift the lid around the country’s darkest post liberation conflict widely known as the Gukurahundi massacres in the early 80s and other key political events in the country.

An estimated 20 000 civilians the majority being Ndebele followers of the Joshua Nkomo, the late Vice President and one time rival President Robert Mugabe were killed under the then Prime Minister’s government.

In his book, Coltart fingers Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as having incited killings in the region by urging the destruction of the “infrastructure” that was allegedly being used by dissidents loyal to Nkomo to terrorise innocent people.

His reference to infrastructure was interpreted to mean innocent civilians who were accused of harbouring dissidents.
Similarly, Coltart, a founding member of a united MDC in 1999, also accused the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai of training militia in South Africa 2006 in preparation of a violent takeover of the country.

Both politicians have denied the claims with Mnangagwa going further to threaten a civil suit against Coltart, who is also a lawyer
But Coltart has remained adamant, insisting every detail covered by his book was factual.
However, as rivals continue to take aim at the Bulawayo based politician, the MDC breakaway faction has stood by its member, insisting he was merely exercising his freedom of expression.

In a statement, party spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said his party has, likewise, tolerated several other publications published before which it never agreed to.
“Since 1980, the ruling party, ZANU PF, has portrayed the liberation struggle as a one-man one party band, totally disregarding and denigrating the role of other nationalists like the late Dr. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo,” Chihwayi said.

“Senator David Coltart has stepped forward to package his experiences, narratives and opinions into this very important book.
“The longstanding debate on the causes of the massacre of over twenty thousand citizens at the cruel sword of the Zanu PF controlled Fifth Brigade draws controversy because the State has deliberately downplayed its gravity.”

The MDC said Coltart participated in the CCJP Report on the Gukurahundi atrocities, whose publication was blocked by President Mugabe’s regime.

Said the MDC: “Thus in pursuit of truth and justice, Senator Coltart has attempted to review some aspects of this unfortunate episode in our lives, and those that were involved directly or indirectly are the first to cry ‘Foul!’.”

Chihwayi accused Mnangagwa, who is also the country’s justice minister, and his Permanent Secretary Virginia Mabhiza of a “brazen determination to intimidate and harass citizens for their right to express themselves freely”.

“This continued abrogation of the rights enshrined in the constitution is something that should worry all Zimbabweans,” he said.
“Those that have facts to argue about the Gukurahundi atrocities are free to publish numerous results of several commissions of enquiries but whose reports remain embargoed by the Zanu PF government.

“Our fear is that the ruling party is dragging its feet in creating conditions suitable for free political completion.

“All efforts to empower institutions that promote reconciliation, truth and forgiveness have been fruitless, this is why citizens like Senator Coltart should be commended for taking the yoke to recite history through the prism of their personal experience. So why vilify them and denigrate such great efforts?”

Chihwayi also said Coltart was qualified to write about violence by Tsvangirai in a then united MDC after the former Prime Minister was often accused of using against party rivals.

The Zimbabwean

30 March 2016

THE opposition MDC party has condemned attacks on party Senator David Coltart by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the justice ministry secretary, accusing both of trying to intimidate and harass citizens exercising their right to freedom of expression.

Self-assured and usually unflappable, Mnangagwa hardly reacts to adverse media reports about him but he recently made a rare exception and used the full weight of his office to threaten legal action against Coltart’s archival extraction of material relating to the Gukurahundi atrocities.

In his book “The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe”, Coltart accused the vice president of inciting the 1980s violence which reportedly left 20,000 civilians dead, quoting Mnangagwa making inflammatory remarks describing dissidents as “cockroaches”.

In the 1983 Chronicle report, he reportedly added that “The campaign against dissidents can only succeed if the infrastructure which nurtures them is destroyed.

“… woe unto those who will choose the path of collaboration with dissidents, for we will certainly shorten their stay on earth.”

The VP, who is also justice minister, denied ever uttering the remarks while the ministry’s permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza also appeared to threaten Coltart.

However, in a statement Tuesday, the MDC party defended the former education minister.

“Recent threats on Senator Coltart by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Virginia Mabhiza show a brazen determination to intimidate and harass citizens for their right to express themselves freely, which is against the constitution the country’s leaders swore to protect and defend.

“This continued abrogation of the rights enshrined in the constitution is something that should worry all Zimbabweans,” the MDC said in a statement.

The party blamed the government for the controversy surrounding the emotive Gukurahundi issues.

“The longstanding debate on the causes of the massacre of over twenty thousand citizens at the cruel sword of the Zanu PF controlled Fifth Brigade draws controversy because the State has deliberately downplayed its gravity,” the party said.

“Senator Coltart participated in the CCJP Report on the Gukurahundi atrocities, incidentally that the Zanu PF leader is known to have referred to as a ‘moment of madness’.

“Thus in pursuit of truth and justice, Senator Coltart has attempted to review some aspects of this unfortunate episode in our lives, and those that were involved directly or indirectly are the first to cry ‘Foul!’.”

The Zanu PF government could help the push for truth about Gukurahundi by publishing the findings of the inquiries it carried out on the conflict, the MDC added.

“Those that have facts to argue about the Gukurahundi atrocities are free to publish numerous results of several commissions of enquiries but whose reports remain embargoed by the Zanu PF government.

“All efforts to empower institutions that promote reconciliation, truth and forgiveness have been fruitless, this is why citizens like Senator Coltart should be commended for taking the yoke to recite history through the prism of their personal experience. So why vilify them and denigrate such great efforts?”

Bulawayo 24 News

29 March 2016

AN MDC-T official Promise NMkhwananzi has said claims made by MDC senior official and former Education Minister David Coltart in his book are a serious reverse of the gains of the democratic process which were instigated by the opposition party.

Coltart claimed in his book that MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai trained bandits in Botswana which has been vehemently denied by the opposition party.

“David Coltart’s book makes false, reckless revelations that have potential to derail and destabilise the democratic movement at it’s most critical phase. I don’t even know what the aim is,” said Mkhwananzi.

“Some of the things might cause hardliners to dig in, thus make spirited efforts to reverse some of the democratic gains and autonomy zones retained thus far. We must lower the transactional costs of reform minded elements within the state and increase incentives for democratisation.”

He said secondly, Coltart provides the regime with ammunition to pounce on the key actors of the democratic movement with grave consequences to the progress made to date. Jonathan Moyo’s support always comes at a prize.

“Has Coltart wittingly or unwittingly walked into the spider web?” he asked.

Lastly and important Coltart is a subjective actor as evidenced by his taking of sides during the 2005 split. It is sad but unsurprising that he refers to Tonderai Ndira as a “thug”. I wonder whether in doing so Coltart fully reflected and understood both the import and effect of his actions, intended and/or unintended. For example is Coltart implying that Zanu PF was justified in the way it treated Ndira?

Sometimes memiors are reserved and postponed for strategic as well as national considerations.”

VOA Studio 7

By Gibbs Dube

27 March 2016

WASHINGTON —
Zimbabweans have been urged to push for a private citizens’ bill, which will result in the tackling of the Gukurahundi atrocities of the 1980s that left an estimated 20,000 people dead, hundreds displaced and others maimed.

Dr. Shepherd Mpofu of the University of Johannesburg told VOA Studio 7 some lawmakers can be used to introduce the bill in parliament.

“It (bill) can be sponsored by citizens and pushed through one MP (Member of Parliament). We need to make it clear that it’s time this got addressed and those responsible have to come out.”

According to Parliament of Zimbabwe, bills can be classified into three types mainly relating to the source of the legislation and interest the legislation seeks to address.

Public bills relate to matters of public interest on policy and may be introduced by Members of Parliament and private bills are promoted by a person or body of persons whether corporate or not, for the particular interest or benefits of that person or body of persons.

At the same time, hybrid bills are public bills that affect certain private interests of where a private bill has a scope so wide that it affects public interest of policy.

According to Dr. Mpofu, Zimbabweans should take advantage of these parliamentary provisions to sponsor a private bill that could ensure that the Five Brigade atrocities are addressed.

He said if Zimbabweans have to be united, they have to identify a specific entity such as a political party that would push such interests in parliament for the benefit of relatives and victims of the massacres.

Dr. Mpofu said the ruling party is not interested in addressing this matter. “… From where I am standing, Zanu PF will continue in power and they will continue to ignore this issue. They can only pretend to address it like the formation of a ministry of healing and reconciliation … but was there any healing at that time … there wasn’t.

“And now we need to think beyond civic organizations because most of them have been around for a long time but they have neglected this issue of genocide. One has to ask why it has been neglected.”

He further noted that Zimbabweans have been given a chance to address the issue, which has hogged the limelight after former Education Minister David Coltart, in his autobiography ‘The Struggle Continues’, made a reference to the Five Brigade massacres.

Coltart quoted The Chronicle newspaper, which once reported in the 1980s, that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa allegedly compared so-called dissidents and their supporters in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces as cockroaches that needed to be destroyed through the use of a pesticide called DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane).

The vice president at that time was the Minister of Security under President Robert Mugabe’s government. He has threatened to sue Coltart, who insists that he stands by what he wrote in the book.

“This is a point of departure for Zimbabweans … If we miss this point we might not get it in the near future,” said Dr. Mpofu.

Reverend Ray Motsi of the Baptist Church, who is also a member of the National Transitional Justice Working Group, said there is need to urgently address this issue.

“I really do believe that the best way to deal with it is to actually find a way in which we begin to help the victims who are struggling, who are not able to move forward even if there is no acceptance of wrong on the side of Zanu PF and those people who were responsible.

“We also need to find some psycho-social approaches in terms of development, building more schools in Matabeleland (and Midlands) and providing some capital injection so that people of Matabeleland can start looking after themselves.”

Rev. Motsi’s PHD focused on the North Korean-trained Five Brigade atrocities, which were once described by President Mugabe as “a moment of madness”. The Zimbabwean leader has never publicly apologized for the massacres.

Mr. Mugabe once set up a team to probe the atrocities, which was headed by lawyer Simplicious Chihambakwe. Results of the Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry have never been made public. The government has not even released the number of people who were killed by the Five Brigade.

Various independent groups, including a report compiled by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace titled ‘Breaking the Silence: Building True Peace’, put the figure of civilians who were killed at almost 20,000. The government has neither confirmed nor denied that state security agents and the national army unit killed such a large number of people.

President Mugabe’s government deployed the Five Brigade in Matabeleland and Midlands regions to allegedly quell the dissident menace, which they linked to then rival, PF Zapu leader, Joshua Nkomo. The late Nkomo denied any links to the dissidents and had to flee Zimbabwe when armed men, believed to be Gukurahundi operatives, raided his home in Pelandaba suburb, Bulawayo, where they killed a bodyguard and several other people.

In his book, The Story of My Life, Nkomo accused President Mugabe of attempting to kill him and exterminate his supporters. In 1987, his party merged with Mr. Mugabe’s Zanu PF leading to the formation of a unity government, which over the years has experienced serious friction.

One of the key Zapu leaders, former ZIPRA military supremo Dumiso Dabengwa, pulled out of the unity accord, noting that Zapu officials were not being given due recognition in the government by President Mugabe. ZIPRA (Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army) was Zapu’s armed wing, which fought alongside the African National Congress of South Africa’s Umkhonto Wesizwe during the war of liberation of the 1970s.

Independent Foreign Service

27 March 2016 at 12:11pm

By: Peta Thornycroft

Harare – Zimbabwe’s former education minister David Coltart says he is ready to face vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa in court after the Zanu-PF strongman threatened to sue him.

Mnangagwa is tipped to succeed President Robert Mugabe, 92, when he retires or dies.

The row emerged in the wake of the recent publication in South Africa of Coltart’s autobiography, The Struggle Continues – 50 years of tyranny.

Coltart is Zimbabwe’s top human rights lawyer who began his legal career as state violence against civilians erupted in the Matabeleland provinces and parts of the Midlands from 1983 to 1987.

He was involved for more than 20 years in opposition politics and became education minister during the four-year unity government with the two Movement for Democratic Change parties which ended in 2013.

In his book, he publishes several remarks he says were made by Mnangagwa 33 years ago as head of the Central Intelligence Organisation.

Coltart and others interpreted the remarks as a contributory factor in the slaughter of about 20 000 people in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces from 1983 to 1987.

Mnangagwa claims he did not make the statements published in Bulawayo’s Chronicle newspaper at the time and reprinted by the same newspaper earlier this week.

The Chronicle is part of Zimbabwe Newspapers which is generally seen as state-controlled but some analysts say it is currently engaged in some of the intra-Zanu-PF faction fights about who will succeed Mugabe.

Coltart told The Daily News in Harare: “In the circumstances, Mnangagwa would be very poorly advised by his lawyers to institute legal proceedings… any action will be defended.”

Mnangagwa told another Harare newspaper that Coltart’s statements, linking him to the deaths of thousands of civilians, were a “fabrication” and were “malicious and false”.

Coltart has asked why Mnangagwa did not sue sooner or attempt to correct what the Chronicle published in 1983.

“These extracts (in the autobiography) confirm that what is recorded in my book accurately reflects what the Chronicle reported him as saying then,” Coltart said.

Mnangagwa’s lawyers issued a statement which said they were “perusing… Coltart’s autobiography… before considering appropriate action to be taken to address these false and malicious statements”.

He has always denied any responsibility for the murder of mostly Ndebele-speaking opposition supporters at that time.

Mugabe has never apologised for the slaughter, but remarked atrocities committed by a North Korean-trained army brigade were “a moment of madness”.

The Chronicle published the following remarks it said were made by Mnangagwa at a pro-Zanu-PF rally in April 1983: “The campaign against dissidents can only succeed if the infrastructure which nurtures them is destroyed.

“Blessed are they who will follow the path of the government laws, for their days on earth will be increased.

“But woe unto those who will choose the path of collaboration with dissidents, for we will certainly shorten their stay on earth.”

Zimeye

24 March 2016

The President of The Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe(PDZ), Barbara Nyagomo, has called on embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign following revelations that he made controversial remarks during the Gukurahundi atrocities in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

In a statement released earlier today Nyagomo said instead of attempting to pour cold water on the allegations raised by David Coltart, Mnangagwa should immediately vacate office since the utterances he made were reckless and unfortunate. Mnangagwa has distanced himself from the said utterances claiming Coltart’s assertions are baseless and unfounded. Mnangagwa also claimed he never made such remarks despite clear evidence that he addressed a rally in Victoria Falls.

He also threatened to take legal action against Coltart. Nyagomo said despite the Vice President’s denial, well documented evidence in the Chronicle of March 25 1985, revealed Mnangagwa was quoted openly encouraging the massacre of civilians for purportedly harbouring bandits.

“The Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe notes with concern that the honourable Vice President Mnangagwa has issued a statement refuting assertions by Mr Coltart , who accused him of uttering statements that incited and justified the actions of the state and the Fifth Brigade at a time he was the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office.

It is unfortunate that the VP chose to issue a public statement denying with impunity and disdain allegations of utterances attributed to him openly instigating and supporting the Fifth Brigade’s actions.We call on the VP to immediately resign from government. Such a man does not have the dignity and morals to lead the people of Zimbabwe,” said Nyagomo in the statement. Pressure is mounting on Mnangagwa to apologise to the nation for the reckless utterances he made at the height of the Gukurahundi atrocities in early eighties. Civic organisations say about 20 000 civilians were massacred during the Gukurahundi era.

The Herald,

24 March 2016

By Tichaona Zindoga

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2006 trained bandits in South Africa in preparation for a violent takeover of power in Zimbabwe, a new book by former Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South David Coltart has revealed. Editor’s note – the book #StruggleContinues does not state that Tsvangirai trained bandits – this is a gross distortion of what is written

In his controversial memoirs, “The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe”, Mr Coltart – a founding secretary for legal affairs in the MDC – reveals how the split in the original party came about because of Mr Tsvangirai’s knack for violence.

According to Mr Coltart, Mr Tsvangira not only engaged in intra-party violence where he used “agents provocateurs” such as one Tonderai Ndira, but sought to escalate violence into a nationwide confrontation with the ruling Zanu-PF.

He said at party level, Mr Tsvangirai had become paranoid as he thought that there were efforts to muscle him out of leadership, especially when the party had proposed during constitutional amendments presented to Parliament that a national president needed to have at least a university degree.

He also felt that the only way he could wrestle power from Zanu-PF was through violence, says Mr Coltart.

It was on this basis that Mr Tsvangirai refused to participate in the re-introduced senatorial elections, causing the split of October 2005.

Mr Coltart says the use of violence, which was meted against officials such as Peter Guhu and Trudy Stevenson resulted in the split the party.

But, it was the training of bandits that shocked Mr Coltart, and which led him to cut ties with Mr Tsvangirai and opted to join the other faction that was then being led by Arthur Mutambara.

He said the training camp for MDC operatives in South Africa was being conducted “by ex-South African policemen under the supervision of an ex-Rhodesian soldier”.

“There was confusion as to whether the training was ‘offensive’ or ‘defensive’ but weapons were clearly involved,” says Mr Coltart.

“The South African National Defence Force had been bribed to allow these trained men back across the border,” he said.

Mr Coltart says he had learnt about the development from two journalists who had filmed the training operation.

He concluded that the operation “appeared to be chronically amateurish” and would also play into the hands of the ruling party.

“While I understood the desperation and helplessness that many felt in the face of Zanu-PF’s oppression, this was, in my view, a foolhardy response,” he writes.

“Even if one believed in a violent solution, the training was on such a small scale that it could never mount a serious challenge to Zanu-PF’s hegemony. What it would provide was the ideal excuse to crack down even harder on the MDC.

“The revelation was the final straw. Principle aside, I was unwilling to have any part of an organisation that was prepared to take such risks,” said the Bulawayo lawyer.

He said he wrote a circular to his constituents on May 23, telling them that MDC-T had “shown no inclination to deal with violence” and he could not join that party.

“All that was left for me to do now was to decide whether to stay in politics and, if so to get assurances from MDC-M that they would root out ‘the scourge of violence'”.

Mr Coltart said Mr Tsvangirai and his party were spoiling for “yet another war” in the country and took the risk to join the smaller MDC faction.

“I would rather lose my seat in Parliament than compromise certain principles, which are fundamental to my belief system,” he said.

VOA Studio 7

By Gibbs Dube

24 March 2016

WASHINGTON DC —
President Robert Mugabe once described the Five Brigade atrocities in Matabeleland and the Midlands provinces in the 1980s as a moment of madness.

In the late 1980s, he set up an inter-ministerial committee headed by the late Vice President John Nkomo to look into possibilities of bringing closure to the massacre of an estimated 20,000 innocent civilians. The committee never made any recommendations as it was disbanded without a public announcement.

Recently, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been strongly defending allegations that he was among top state officials, who were involved in the killings, which resulted in the setting up of the Simplicious Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry to probe the massacres. The report was never made public.

Caught up in allegations over the massacres is former Education Minister David Coltart, who recently published a book, which alleges that Mnangagwa made disparaging remarks about so-called dissidents and their supporters, mostly aligned to PF Zapu then led by the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo. Mnangagwa has threatened to sue Coltart for defaming him.

What can Zimbabweans learn from the Five Brigade or Gukurahundi massacres? For perspective, we reached Reverand Ray Motsi of the Baptist Church, whose PHD thesis was on Five Brigade massacres, and Dr. Shepherd Mpofu of the University of Johannesburg.

Motsi says there is a lot that is needed before victims of the massacres get state compensation.

“First and foremost there must be an acknowledgement, acknowledgement of that happened and this acknowledgement can about if people explain what happened to themselves by being given the opportunity to talk and also there must be people that did this and we know them they must be still alive especially the commanding group …”

He said this is supposed to be a national agenda as state funds were used when the Five Brigade committed the atrocities in the two regions.

“Ndebeles are citizens like everybody else and so they must be accorded their rights to be able to be addressed as Zimbabweans and not just people who came from somewhere.”

He noted that an inclusive approach is needed in addressing this sensitive issue as relatives of victims want some kind of closure.

Dr. Mpofu echoed the same sentiments, noting that all people who are linked to the atrocities need to come out in the open and talk about the issue.

He said the Ministry of National Healing has over the years become a toothless entity. Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who once presided over the ministry, was arrested when he addressed a meeting on Five Brigade atrocities in Lupane, Matabeleland North, a place where some of the killings took place.

“It seems that was just done to put a blanket over our faces and not to face the real problems … Noone knows exactly what happened (during the Gukurahundi atrocities). We have three thesis that explain those things. One, it says is was a Shona versus Ndebele issue. Secondly, it was Mugabe wanted to exterminate Nkomo supporters and the third one there was a Super Zapu funded by South Africans to destabilize Zimbabwe. And what we really want to know now is what really happened.”

He further said, “The genocide has always affected Shona/Ndebele relations in Zimbabwe and even the national identify project that Zanu PF seeks to create it has always been affected by that.”

He said some people have even attributed Ndebeles position, mostly of deputies, in various institutions “via Gukurahundi”.

“If children in Matabeleland are to be swallowed by a river trying to cross to school … How do you explain that? Gukurahundi. Under-development in Matabeleland … How do you explain that? So, Gukurahundi has become an auto explainer to many things that go wrong in Matabeleland. And for you to stop that you need the government to explain those things and come out clean.”

Reverend Motsi echoed the same sentiments, noting that Zimbabweans should be free to discuss Gukurahundi atrocities.

“We must grant people who are victims an opportunity or whose relatives were victimized, and died and disappeared to talk about it. This whole idea of putting a lid on Gukurahundi continues to traumatize people. I kind of keep annoyed when people talk about reconciliation and forgiveness. What would you be forgiven for when you haven’t acknowledged what the problem is? So, for me this is a national agenda, this is a Zimbabwean problem.

“Shonas and Ndebeles must come together and address this issue. It’s not a tribal issue, it’s a national issue. I am saying this because I am Shona. I need everybody to know that.”

Dr. Mpofu said some Shonas have been victimized for the atrocities. “I think the Reverand (Motsi) has to also say those in power because it’s not Shonas who are responsible for this. Some Shonas have been victimized as responsible while there have nothing to do with it.”

He said Zimbabweans should pressurize the responsible people to answer for the atrocities through specific political parties or non-governmental entities.