EU Gukurahundi remarks angers residents

THE European Union’s chief envoy to Harare has insisted the EU appreciates how “present and painful the memory of Gukurahundi” remains in Matabeleland and denied claims he dismissed continuing anger over the sensitive issue as “an old song”. The Bulawayo-based and state-run Sunday News claimed that Ambassador Aldo Dell'Ariccia suggested during meetings in Matebeleland that the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities were an “old song” that should not be allowed to undermine development in the region. The newspaper quoted Dell'Ariccia as allegedly saying “Gukurahundi has become so much of a tired song in Matabeleland”. Matabeleland activists and Gukurahundi justice campaigners reacted angrily to the remarks with many accusing the ambassador of insulting victims of the conflict as well as people of the region in general. Blasted one activist in an email to the Ambassador: “How dare you insult us? You owe us a very big apology. We lost our relatives during Gukurahundi; that’s an old song? Kids don’t have birth certificates; that's an old song?" But in a statement to NewZimbabwe.com Tuesday Ambassador Dell'Ariccia denied making the remarks and accused the Sunday News of fabricating quotations attributed to him. “None of the quotes reported as my alleged declarations to the Sunday News' article are accurate,” he said. “I presume that the dissemination of false declarations obeys to a strategy of defamation of the European Union and tries to create animosity between us and the people of Matabeleland. And in an interview with VOA’s Violet Gonda, Dell'Ariccia added: "I have never ever in my life used those words. On top of it it’s not even in my vocabulary. “What I did say is that the people of Matabeleland have an installed capacity in terms of manpower and again with confidence look at the future and their contributions in the overall development of the region."

 Below are the original emails.

On Behalf Of Robert Ndlovu
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 11:37 AM
To: DELEGATION ZIMBABWE HOD
Subject: Gukurahundi Now a Tired Song
Aldo Dell'Ariccia,

How dare you insult us ? What are you giving to the people of Matebeleland ?
Mugabe has never apologized for what he did.

You owe us a very big apology.We lost our relatives during Gukurahundi .Thats an old song.
Kids dont have birth certificates.That's an old song.
You owe us an apology.You could have said it in a more diplomatic way.

Why are you NOT opening office in Bulawayo if you have such teremity of saying such infalamatory statements.
Robert Ndlovu
Bulawayo



From: DELEGATION ZIMBABWE HOD
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 8:56 AM
To: Robert Ndlovu

Subject: RE: Gukurahundi Now a Tired Song
Dear Mr Ndlovu,

I presume that you refer to an article published on-line in the "New Zimbabwe".
I would like to reassure you of the fact that NONE of the quotes reported in the article are true.

I profoundly regret that "New Zimbabwe" has taken up alleged declarations that I would have made to the Bulawayo-based Sunday News, without taking the precaution of consulting me, and that he has taken these false declarations as true and factual.
What happened during the visit of the whole Delegation to Bulawayo is exactly the contrary, because we had the opportunity of having a first-hand impression on how present and painful the memory of Gukurahundi is in the mind and spirit of the people of Matabeleland.
I presume that the source that disseminated the false declarations obeys to a strategy of defamation of the European Union and tries to create animosity between us and the people of Matabeleland.
I hope that this clarification puts the record straight and I would be grateful if you could communicate to other of your compatriots that might have been shocked by the article, the truth of the facts.
Best regards

Aldo Dell'Ariccia
Ambassador - Head of the EU Delegation