Pressure group Ibhetshu Likazulu blasted the government for shutting out journalists from secret Gukurahundi hearings. Traditional chiefs recently launched meetings where victims of 1980s mass killings can tell their stories. President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration refuses to explain what they want from these proceedings. The media ban has sparked fears that officials plan to cover up the truth about the atrocities. Critics worry the closed-door sessions will produce a whitewashed version of events.
The advocacy organization demands transparency and inclusion of all affected parties. Chiefs must hear from victims across Matabeleland, Midlands, and Bulawayo plus those living abroad. The group insists perpetrators should also share their accounts for the process to have credibility. Officials need to establish a national day of mourning to honor those who died. Without these steps the entire exercise remains deeply flawed according to activists.
Government troops killed over 20,000 civilians during the 1983 crackdown in Matabeleland. Authorities claimed they were fighting rebel elements from the liberation movement ZPRA. The Chihambakwe Commission investigated the massacres but officials never released their findings. The current government says it cannot locate copies of the report. Most people doubt the chiefs-led hearings will reveal the truth or deliver justice for families.
The advocacy organization demands transparency and inclusion of all affected parties. Chiefs must hear from victims across Matabeleland, Midlands, and Bulawayo plus those living abroad. The group insists perpetrators should also share their accounts for the process to have credibility. Officials need to establish a national day of mourning to honor those who died. Without these steps the entire exercise remains deeply flawed according to activists.
Government troops killed over 20,000 civilians during the 1983 crackdown in Matabeleland. Authorities claimed they were fighting rebel elements from the liberation movement ZPRA. The Chihambakwe Commission investigated the massacres but officials never released their findings. The current government says it cannot locate copies of the report. Most people doubt the chiefs-led hearings will reveal the truth or deliver justice for families.
