by Gwinyai Mutongi
Enemies of progress and detractors of the Second Republic have frenziedly launched a ploy to downplay the new government’s efforts to investigate the Gukurahundi disturbances and bring the matter to finality.
The ploy is to present the new government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa as being reluctant to investigate the disturbances or to take measures to promote reconciliation and national healing among Zimbabweans.
It should be stated from the outset that the poorly cobbled documentary is part of the opposition’s post-election war chest to taint the image of President Mnangagwa and his government and also derail significant strides that have been made to repair relations between Zimbabwe and the rest of the global community.
After failing to prove their cheap claims that the 2018 election was rigged, the opposition activists like Zenzele Ndebele, who is the face behind the shoddy Gukurahundi documentary, are now resorting to mudslinging tactics which include the hatchet job of producing an incredulous documentary.
Having observed more foreign investors and international organisations warming up to Zimbabwe, opposition activists are now desperate to throw spanners into government’s re-engagement efforts.
In their desperation to malign government, producers of the documentary tried to hide ongoing and unequivocal efforts by President Mnangagwa to investigate the Gukurahundi disturbances and use the findings of the investigation to heal the country.
Already the President has mandated the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) to thoroughly investigate the disturbances and bring the matter to finality.
Speaking to the CNN last week, President Mnangagwa reiterated that he stands ready to abide by the recommendations of the NPRC.
“When I took over I felt that we needed to have finality on this issue (Gukurahundi). So I appointed a peace and national reconciliation commission, which is now eight months into investigations and gathering evidence,” said the President.
“We should be man enough as a Government to accept whatever recommendations are made and see how, as a Government, that we comply with the recommendations of the report. What I will not want to do is, in advance, say I will do this, I will do that. We will act according to the report,” he added.
It cannot be doubted, therefore, that President Mnangagwa is wholeheartedly seized with the Gukurahundi issue and is well set to bring the matter to finality through the guidance of the NPRC findings.
With this in mind, it is advisable for people to disregard the Gukurahundi documentary as it is a poor effort to muddle efforts by President Mnangagwa to rebuild Zimbabwe and heal the nation.
