Gukurahundi victims remembered

Gukurahundi Genocide Victims for Justice (GGV4J), a human rights group based here is set to commemorate victims of Gukurahundi at Booysens Hotel Heroes' Day August 11 under theme ‘Proper resting place, Reparation, Justice: the cornerstones of healing and closure'.

"While the country celebrates its liberation struggle heroes, we will remember and mourn our departed relatives and family members who perished or disappeared without trace," said GGV4J Director, Magugu Khumalo.

Despite efforts by the government to close the Gukurahundi issue without probing or punishing the perpetrators, the organisation is set to intensify the fight for justice for more than 20,000 people from Midlands and Matabeleland regions who died.

"In August 2010 Gukurahundi was classified as genocide by Genocide Watch; the fight for justice for the victims and survivors of Gukurahundi will not be buried at our presence. We will exhaust everything we have for the victims and survivors to get justice. No one is above the law, even if they pass the law in parliament which classifies the issue as closed we won't let go until survivors are compensated and victims get justice. We are disappointed that the government has gone ahead and passed the HRC bill into law, but this does not deter us from pursuing justice taking up our case up with the ICC and the AU Human Rights Commission," added Khumalo.

Zapu vice-president Emelia Mukarakatirwa recently challenged perpetrators of the 1980s' Gukurahundi massacres and those responsible for the region's economic marginalisation to own up and pave way for reconciliation.

The only time President Robert Mugabe came close to opening up on the 1983–1987 army operation was in July 1999 at the burial of Vice-President Joshua Nkomo when he described the era as "a moment of madness".

Since then the issue has sparked a storm with other Zanu-PF officials, including Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and Bulawayo Metropolitan governor Cain Mathema, dismissing it as a closed chapter.

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