Motlanthe commission says only its secretary and spokesman speak for it

Speaking on a visit to South Africa in August, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Mnangagwa had “taken a key step by setting up an inquiry into the violence and that is a very important signal from him”.

A number of people some of whom argued when the commission was appointed that there was no need for such a commission are now calling on Mnangagwa to release the Commission’s report.

Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora urged Mnangagwa to release the report saying he hoped that the statement by Charamba did not mean he would not.

“The people deserve to read the report and make their own conclusions,” he said.

Former Senator and opposition member David Coltart said Mnangagwa would have breached his promise if he does not release the report. In addition failure to release the report would be confirmation that he is guilt.

Alex Magaisa said if Mnangagwa does not release the report, this will prove that he is no different from his predecessor President Robert Mugabe.

“Mnangagwa has spent the past year trying desperately, but without much success, to prove that he is different from his old mentor. As Mugabe’s chief enforcer for many years, the shadow of the old master follows him everywhere and it has been hard to shake off. He has to do things differently,” Magazisa said.

Jonathan Moyo said: “Seeking to hide the 1 August 2018 Harare atrocities and their perpetrators by hiding, or playing fiddle with, the Motlanthe Commission Report; has all the trappings of a typical gukurahundi strategy by remorseless gukurahundists!”

Commission chair, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said the commission was setting up a website where all the evidence submitted to the commission would be published.

The 1 August violence was cited by many observer groups as one of the key factors that offset some of the improvements that the country had made in this year’s election.

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