THE opposition Zapu party has rapped traditional leaders demanding hefty allowances for participating in the government-led Gukurahundi hearings being conducted in the Matabeleland region.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned the public hearings which are being led by the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe.
However, reports indicate that the Gukurahundi outreach programme has been bogged down by excessive demands that include hefty allowances for the traditional leaders.
Indications are that the traditional leaders were demanding US$4 000 a month paid in cash, while they are also reportedly asking for hundreds of litres of fuel per month. This was turned down, although there are arrangements for the traditional leaders to refuel at selected service stations.
There are also reports that the traditional leaders are also demanding Starlink kits for their homesteads, amid reports that most of the teams are made up of close relatives and friends.
In an interview with Southern Eye, Zapu spokesperson Brian Ncube said his party was appalled by the demands being made by chiefs involved in the Gukurahundi outreach programme.
He said the chiefs’ insatiable greed and self-aggrandisement were a stark reminder of the total disregard for the victims of the Gukurahundi genocide.
“As Zapu, we knew from the beginning that this process was flawed and a bastardisation of the genuine attempts to heal the wounds of the past,” Ncube said.
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“The chiefs’ demands for hefty allowances, Starlink kits and fuel coupons are a clear indication that they are more interested in lining their pockets than in providing justice, and closure to the victims and their families.”
Ncube said the secrecy surrounding the hearings, which are being held in selected parts of Matabeleland away from the public and the media, raised serious questions about government’s intentions.
He said the exclusion of Midlands province, which was also affected by Gukurahundi, was an attempt to downplay the magnitude of the killings and deny the victims their rightful place in the narrative.
“Zapu demands that the government takes immediate action to address the concerns raised by the victims and their families.
“We call for a more transparent and inclusive process to address the country's dark past, one that prioritises justice, accountability and reparations for the victims spread across Zimbabwe and abroad.
“To the chiefs involved in this sham process, we say: your greed and insensitivity are a betrayal of the trust placed in you by the people. You are a shame to the traditional leadership institution and a stain on the dignity of our culture.”
Council of Chiefs President Chief Matshane Khumalo dismissed reports linking traditional leaders to hefty allowance demands.
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace report estimated that over 20 000 people were killed when the North Korea-trained 5 Brigade rolled into Matabeleland and Midlands provinces to quell an insurgency, although critics say the move was a giant step
towards the creation of a one-party State.
The late former President Robert Mugabe described Gukurahundi as a “moment of madness” but did not apologise for the killings.
