GUKURAHUNDI GHOST STILL HAUNTS ZIMBABWE

Despite many attempts to avoid the subject of the Gukurahundi atrocities in the mid 80s, Zimbabwe is still struggling to come to terms with that ghost. The President Cde RG Mugabe once referred to this period as the darkest period in the history of the nation. He further said it was the time of madness, and should never happen again. During this period many people were murdered in cold blood by the 5th Brigade. This was a special wing of the army that was specifically formed to perpetrate, and wipe away the dissidents in Matabeleland and Midlands. These Korean trained militias did not only deal with the dissidents, but also any body who did not support the ruling party ZANU PF. Their wave was so strong that they did not only kill the male villagers; but also raped and killed pregnant women.

They would come to a village, and close schools, select boys and girls in higher grades they could use as informers. This would be brainwashed so much that they would even kill their own parents. Normally, they wanted one to start by battering his or her own family. This would be under their watchful eye. Failure to do that would mean death for oneself. Men were stripped and humiliated in public places, and thoroughly beaten to death. The soldiers as we used to call them, would gather the children together, and ask them questions, They would beat them to release the information they wanted. People who were targeted most were obviously Ndebele speakers, since they operated in Ndebele lands. Young girls were raped. Men of age vanished mysteriously or were killed publicly. The tactics they used varied depending on the soldiers judgements. No Police would intervene as this was said to be an operation to clean up, hence the name Gukurahundi.

This period of witch hunt, humiliation and torture took place not under the evil regime of Ian Douglas Smith, but in a free Zimbabwe. These operations were planned and directed by the government of Zimbabwe which was elected by the people of Zimbabwe. This was the period when many investors and non governmental agencies were flooding Zimbabwe. This was the time when many regions of Zimbabwe were fast developing. It is estimated that over twenty thousand people died. Nobody surely knows the actually number. No official findings have ever been released about this tragedy. The Chihambakwe Commission's findings which the government ordered undertaken, was never made public. A lot of young people from Mat land could not get their birth certificates, because their fathers were unknown.

GUKURAHUNDI CAN MAKES US OR BREAK US.

The problem now is that many people are using the gukurahundi atrocities, to keep the affected people in bondage. This sensitive and touching issue deserves to be handled correctly by the right people. It has taken over two decades for Zimbabwe to acknowledge that these unfortunate events happened. In the past nobody ever listened to these people's plight. They were considered aliens. Only recent did we hear politicians like Morgan Tvsangirayi getting on board, saying that he will prosecute Mugabe for these crimes. Because of the desperation politicians are using that issue as catch to attract people from Matabeland .