Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa today met chiefs in Bulawayo to resolve the long-standing Gurkuhundi issue and said there is nothing more important than national unity.
He posted on his X space that he emphasised to the chiefs’ council his commitment to resolve the Gukurahundi issue which has been raging since the 1990s.
Like his mantra: nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakiwa ngavanikazo balo, Mnabgagwa said about Gukurahundi: “Okonakalayo elizweni kulungiswa ngabanikazi balo/ Zvinokanganisika munyika zvinogadziriswa nevene vayo.”
Mnangagwa was Minister of State Security at the time of Gukurahundi and the blame on the atrocities which are estimated to have cost up to 20 000 lives has been heaped on him.
Below is Mnangagwa’s full speech:
Fellow Zimbabweans, today marks the fourth interface with the Chiefs Council as we continue to work towards strengthening the prevalence of peace in our motherland,
In order to maintain and strengthen our national unity as Zimbabweans, my administration embarked in February of 2019 on an initiative to pursue the resolution of the Gukurahundi issue through an internal and home-grown process that would invite the participation of all affected.
It is with no small measure of satisfaction that I stand before you today and announce that the implementation of the initiative to resolve the Gukurahundi issue has reached an advanced stage.
After extensive consultation with all stakeholders, I took the decision to mandate the National Council of Chiefs through its selected members to spearhead this initiative.
This decision was not made without some reflection.
The National Council of Chiefs as the custodians of our culture, traditional practices and values are best placed to handle this issue through their intimate and close relationship with the people.
As we embarked on this process, we were not unaware of, nor had we forgotten the external factors that ignited this conflict in our midst. The decision to resolve this issue on our own amongst ourselves is based on the realisation that none but ourselves can determine our destiny as a nation.
I, therefore, take this opportunity to urge everyone involved in this exercise to maintain heightened alertness for external influences that seek to derail our process and drive us back to a scenario of internal disputes and conflict. The unity of our nation must be guarded jealously against detractors both internal and external.
My Fellow Zimbabweans, I am humbled by the work ethic of the Chiefs, mandated with this solemn task, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the process is comprehensive, transparent, and victim-centred.
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