Chiefs Ban Journalists, Security Agents From Gukurahundi Hearings
Chief Fortune Charumbira has said the media, as well as police, army, and intelligence operatives, will not be allowed to attend the Gukurahundi hearings, which are scheduled to begin soon.
Speaking to editors and journalists at a media sensitisation workshop in Bulawayo on Thursday, Charumbira, who is the Deputy President of the National Chiefs’ Council, said the media blackout is meant to allow victims in rural communities to speak freely.
He said the media will be given updates fortnightly on the progress of the hearings. Charumbira said (via CITE):
All these meetings, and workshops we are having are how we get to the big victim best to give them the best environment to express themselves and how do we record that?
How do we share that with the nation? If we wanted to hide anything. We wouldn’t hold this workshop?
As we were designing the programme or the approach, it was asked if we were going to allow police for meetings because people wouldn’t be comfortable saying anything. Including our chiefs. If you bring the intelligence, army people would not be comfortable.
As a result, when we do these interviews, there will be no police, there will be no CIO, and no army.
Charumbira also said “outsiders” will not be allowed to attend the outreach meetings so that local people can speak without being intimidated. He said:
That’s very important. There will be no strangers, because even the people themselves will ask what if that person wants to write and follow me afterwards, so we should agree on that one.
There will be no strangers and I will come to the media. Underline there will be no strangers so the police would be some of those strangers. So we agree.
The traditional leader said barring the media and State security agents from the meetings will protect Gukurahundi victims as they may suffer “permanent damage” if their submissions are publicised. He said:
The other issue is people would be narrating the experiences they went through, some of it very emotive.
Some of it, I think once released to the public, will cause permanent damage to that very person who made this submission.
People will say “Oh that one, she was raped in this manner,” and others will say we didn’t know she went through a gruesome act.
Charumbira also said the media should cover properly structured and standardised reports so that they do not distort what would have been said.
More: Pindula News
