Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
ZIMBABWE Council of Chiefs president, Chief Mtshane Khumalo, has denied telling the media that the start of the Gukurahundi hearings had been postponed due to a lack of resources, as reported by some sections of the private media.
Last week, the private media reported that the start of the hearings, which they claimed was set for June 16, had been halted as there was a serious lack of resources for the exercise.
The initiative, spearheaded by President Mnangagwa’s Second Republic, aims to address and bring closure to the post-independence disturbances that affected Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands Province.
Chief Mtshane called Zimpapers yesterday to set the record straight and said he never put a definitive date on the start of the hearings, and it was unfortunate that the public had thus been misinformed.
“I never spoke to some of these people who are writing all this. What I have always maintained and which I still do is that the hearings are expected to start any time in June. I never put a definitive date as is being alleged now. For the record, we have got the resources, are well on course, and ready to begin this programme, and once the exact date is declared, the nation shall be informed accordingly,” said Chief Mtshane.
Last month, Matabeleland chiefs launched a critical outreach programme, engaging with headmen and village heads across their jurisdictions, marking a significant step towards the Gukurahundi public hearings.
The outreach programme was intended to brief fellow traditional leaders on the upcoming public hearings.
Chief Mtshane said the outreach was necessary because the programme had not been adequately explained to the general public, with most people only hearing about it through the media.
“We noted that no one has gone to the people to explain what is about to happen, so it was decided that we engage with our headmen and village heads who are in day-to-day contact with the people. After this exercise, which began this week, we will formally start the hearings, hopefully before the end of next month. As chiefs, we are ready and raring to go,” he said.
Yesterday, the steering committee of the Gukurahundi Community Engagement Outreach Programme met traditional chiefs from Matabeleland in Bulawayo to finalise logistical arrangements for the rollout of the community outreach programme.
In a statement read on her behalf by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana, Attorney General Virginia Mabiza said key highlights of the engagement included reviewing feedback from awareness campaigns conducted in Matabeleland North and South provinces, final training of rapporteurs (today) to document testimonies during public hearings, and a National Council of Chiefs meeting (today) to finalise operational plans and provide guidance on community engagement.
“A Command Centre has been established here at First Mutual Building, in Bulawayo, to support and coordinate the process. This will be the home of the process. The upcoming community hearings aim to provide a safe platform for communities to share their experiences and begin the healing process, promoting national healing, reconciliation, and unity,” she said.
President Mnangagwa entrusted traditional leaders with leading the process of addressing the Gukurahundi issue as part of broader national healing efforts. The President officially launched the Gukurahundi public hearings programme last July, empowering traditional leaders to conduct the hearings.
Initiated in February 2019, the Government’s approach seeks to resolve the Gukurahundi issue through an internal, home-grown process that reinforces national unity.
The Second Republic has demonstrated a strong commitment to facilitating a healing process that brings closure to past conflicts, aligning with the President’s vision of nation-building and fostering unity.
Peter Tanyanyiwa