Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi says government has complied with all the recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission on August 1 shootings save for electoral reforms.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018 set up a Commission of Inquiry into the 1 August 2018 shootings which led to the death of six civilians.
“As far as I am concerned, the recommendations that were there we have complied with them save for one that is work in action where we need to have a look at the electoral law, the other ones I think we are okay,” said Ziyambi in a telephone interview with 263Chat.
“Some of them (families of victims) came here to ask what if they may need assistance with the children. (We told them) The ministry of Labor is here to assist,” said Ziyambi.
Some of the notable recommendations from the commission’s final report were the setting up of a committee to ensure financial support, particularly the payment of school fees for victims’ children, the development of ICT facilities to ensure speedy transmission of election results to the Command Centre and the alignment with the Constitution the provisions of POSA for deploying the military.
It also suggested that the Army conduct an audit of its standing orders and procedures for riot control and law enforcement. The results of the audit, and the lessons learnt and remedial measures taken are to be published in a public report.
Further, it recommended that all those responsible for alleged crimes on the 1st August 2018 be prosecuted.
However, government compliance to most of the recommendations particularly the compensation of victims’ families remains contestable, two year on.
“Those victims’ families should go to the Ministry of Labor and get assistance,”
“Does anyone have documentary proof that the request of those people was declined by the Ministry of Labor? That’s the job of Minister (Paul) Mavhima. We made that resolution a long time ago,” said Ziyambi.
However, investigations by this publication revealed that the victims’ families are yet to receive some form of assistance towards the upkeep of children left behind.
Suspicious Kumeri, widow to the late Ishmael Kumire – a fruit vendor who was gunned down on that fateful day, told 263Chat that she is yet to receive compensation from government.
“We have not received anything from government and no assistance has come our way,” said Kumeri.
But Ziyambi insisted that families of victims of August 1, 2018 must approach the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare to get compensation.
He however said progress was affected by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which slowed compliance of the recommendations.
“A lot of things slowed down last year because of lockdown. To be honest the last two years have been very frustrating. There are a lot of things that been affected progress,” said Ziyambi.
Yet according to legal resource think tank-Veritas Zimbabwe, in its review on progress in the implementation of the Motlanthe Commission Report, found that government continued to disregard recommendation under the guise of the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
“The delay cannot be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic because the legal reforms that are needed to democratize Zimbabwe and to implement the Commission’s recommendations can be developed, drafted and passed by Parliament even if the country is in lock-down,”
“The pandemic has however been used as a pretext for ignoring the Commission’s recommendation that soldiers should be called on to assist the police only as a last resort. As we have noted, soldiers have been manning roadblocks and helping to clear city centers during lock-downs,” said Veritas Zimbabwe.
