OPPOSITION Zapu candidate for Nkayi South constituency, Cliopas Zololo Moyo, has challenged the Zanu PF government to publicly apologise for the atrocities it committed in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces during the Gukurahundi era.
According to the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, more than 20 000 people were killed by the Zimbabwe National Army’s Fifth Brigade deployed to the south-western parts of the country under the guise of hunting down Zipra dissidents.
Moyo, who is contesting against Zanu PF’s Stars Mathe and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)’s Jabulani Hadebe in the August 23 harmonised elections, made the remarks during a virtual debate on Thursday last week ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s campaign rally in the constituency yesterday.
The Zapu candidate said the electorate in Nkayi and all other Gukurahundi-affected areas were still nursing emotional scars of the atrocities, adding that only a sincere apology from Zanu PF would heal them.
“Zanu PF was not there in Nkayi during the war of liberation. In Nkayi, we only knew it when it killed and abducted people at night.
“Zanu PF was killing those who led Zapu and Zipra cadres and their supporters. As such, we expect Zanu PF to apologise to Zapu and Zipra and return our (seized) properties as a sign of remorse,” he said.
Moyo said some of the traditional leaders recently tasked by Mnangagwa to lead the healing process were too young to handle the emotive issue.
“People were killed, that is why we are now calling on all the people of Matabeleland to join Zapu so that Zanu PF comes and apologise to them while we are together,” he said.
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Moyo said it was difficult for Zanu PF to apologise if communities rally behind the ruling party, adding that former Zapu members had joined other opposition parties.
“We call on all Zipra members who are within Zanu PF to come back to Zapu. They apologise to us and return our properties. That is the way which may lead to reconciliation. If it does not do so, there will never be unity.”
Mnangagwa tasked traditional leaders to deal with the 1980s killings in 2020, a development which has raised dust among the victims, human rights groups and political groupings in the region.
The groups condemned Mnangagwa whom they said has no locus standi to adjudicate over the emotive issue as he is an alleged accomplice.
Last year, Chief’s Council deputy president Chief Mtshane Khumalo announced that they would start consultations in March this year, but to date, nothing public has been done.
