The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to bring the spokesperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), Obert Gutu to order over his recent remarks which trivialised the Gukurahundi issue.
Early this week, Gutu while addressing an NPRC press conference insinuated that the Gukurahundi issue in which more than 20 000 civilians in Midlands and Matebeleland were killed was a tiny issue which they were seized with.
In a statement, CiZC said belittling the Gukurahundi massacres was a sign of being reckless by Gutu.
“It is regrettable that a representative of a commission mandated to ensure national healing and reconciliation would seek to trivialize an issue of the magnitude of Gukurahundi and inflict more pain on victims and survivors of the government sanctioned massacres. It is foolhardy to claim that Gukurahundi is ‘a small tiny fraction’ of issues faced by the NPRC.
“The Gukurahundi massacres marked the beginning of state sponsored brutality against citizens (which has continued up to now) and dealt a deathblow to the concept of nationhood in Zimbabwe and as such cannot be dismissed as a small issue.
“Gutu’s recent statement smacks of a ploy to sweep the issue of Gukurahundi under the carpet and leaves the nation convinced that there is lack of political will to address the issue and promote national healing and reconciliation,” said CiZC.
The Government, CiZC said must explain past atrocities and called on Gutu to refrain from playing the role of a state or political party spokesperson.
“The government of Zimbabwe must account for past atrocities such as Gukurahundi, the murder of opposition supporters during past elections (2000, 2002, 2008, 2018), Operation Murambatsvina of 2005 among other incidences that led to loss of lives and livelihoods and this calls for Gutu to desist from wearing the jacket of a government or political party spokesperson.
“As Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, we reiterate our demand for an open and honest approach towards resolving the Gukurahundi issue. Gukurahundi is a big and key national scar,” said CiZC.
Meanwhile, Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has threatened to block Gutu from attending any of the commission’s future meetings in Matabeleland.
“For the record, Mthwakazi Republic Party will lead from the front to ensure that Obert Gutu won’t set his foot on Mthwakazi soil to talk about the genocide and reconciliation because we already know his position and that of his master Emmerson Mnangagwa. It is now known why he was appointed to NPRC,” said MRP president Mqondisi Moyo.
