By Mlondolozi Ndlovu
Dumiso Dabengwa’s Zimbabwe African Union Party (ZAPU) has scoffed at Zimbabwe People First (ZIMPF) leader Joice Mujuru’s recent claims she visited Gukurahundi victims in Bulawayo where she disclosed she and her party had a “secret plan” to bring closure to the sad chapter in the southern parts of the country.
Speaking in an interview with a South African television channel, the former Vice President showed remorse over the Gukurahundi massacres, which occurred in the Midlands and Matebeleland provinces where an estimated 20 000 Ndebele speaking Zimbabweans were killed in the genocide.
ZAPU claims it lost some of its supporters during the massacres, leading to its founding leader Joshua Nkomo joining then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe’s ZANU to form a united Zanu PF in a 1987.
The party, which comprises politicians who have since broken ranks with Zanu PF to revive the former liberation war movement, has said Mujuru is not insincere.
“Sentiments made by ZimPF’s Dr Joice Mujuru on South African news channel ETV yesterday (Tuesday) raises more dust than we already inhaled,” said the party in a statement.
“Dr Mujuru, in the interview, claims to have visited Gukurahundi victims at Squatter Camps in Bulawayo. She also claims that she, in conjunction with her party, have a secret program aimed at redressing the atrocities. She also claims she has consulted chiefs in the affected areas about the genocide.”
The party’s spokesperson, Iphuthile Maphosa highlighted that they were sceptical of Mujuru’s pronouncements saying as a former member of Mugabe’s government, should take responsibility of the atrocities.
“Well, many questions rise from these pronouncements by Joice Mujuru. First and foremost, the government of Zimbabwe has not taken responsibility of the early 1980s atrocities. The closest they got to admit the genocide was when Mugabe remarked at Nkomo’s burial that it was a moment of madness,” said Maphosa.
ZAPU said the former VP had no “moral worthiness” saying she must come clean on her role.
“For Dr Mujuru, a member of the government then and whose husband was commanding the army to make such claims raises more questions than answers especially on her moral worthiness. Dr Mujuru must believe we are naïve to believe she knew nothing about the Gukurahundi genocide now that she openly absolves the perpetrating government and wholesomely taking responsibility for the killings,” he added.
“Dr Mujuru has taken it upon herself not only to admit the genocide, but to even visit her supposed victims and instituting a program of redress. Anybody will be forgiven to suspect she is doing this because of the guilt conscience in her. Should we not be forgiven to believe that Dr Mujuru is not guilty by association or complicity but by actually having been actively involved in the killings?”
Maphosa’s strongly worded statement also slammed Mujuru for claiming she visited Gukurahundi victims when in fact these were victims of the 2005 home demolitions by government widely known as Operation Murambatsvina.
“It then boggles the mind as to how Dr Mujuru visits victims and works on a redress plan for a crime she knew nothing of when it took place,” said the party.
“Dr Mujuru is so in denial of Gukurahundi that she deliberately mistook victims of her governments Murambatsvina for victims of Gukurahundi. Well, just a piece of advice Mai Mujuru; the people you visited at Ngozi Mine in Bulawayo are not Gukurahundi victims.
“They are victims of Murambatsvina as committed by your government leaving thousands if not millions homeless and destitute. That you met one ex-ZIPRA cadre there does not turn those people into Gukurahundi victims, but they remain Murambatsvina victims.” Radio VOP
