The Gukurahundi Community Outreach Programme has yet to begin due to unresolved logistical issues, it has emerged.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially launched the programme on July 14, 2024, at the Bulawayo State House, five years after its initial proposal.
The initiative aims to create a platform for victims and survivors of the Gukurahundi atrocities to voice their grievances before a 14-member panel headed by chiefs.
Despite the government’s high-profile launch, the hearings have not yet commenced.
In an interview with <a href="https://cite.org.zw/gukurahundi-hearings-stalled-chiefs-reveal-unresolved-issues/">CITE</a>, Chief Lucas Mtshane Khumalo, President of the National Chiefs Council, confirmed that the hearings have not yet begun and expressed uncertainty about when they will start. He said:
<blockquote>
We have not started, and we don’t know when we will start. There are still some logistics that have not been concluded.
We are not sure when we are going to start, but we will announce it when we are ready because we want publicity for this programme. However, there are some pending logistics.
I don’t want to divulge the specific logistics, but there are pending matters that need to be resolved.
There are many considerations when preparing to go out into the field—transportation, food, and subsistence allowances, among others.
</blockquote>
Chief Mtshane also noted that the budget allocated for the outreach programme is insufficient. He said:
<blockquote>
I think they underestimated the budget for this process. It is not enough for what’s required on the ground. The budget exists, but it does not cater for all the needs.
</blockquote>
In previous meetings between Mnangagwa and the chiefs, the government confirmed that a budget had been allocated for the hearings, although the specific amount was not disclosed.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The Gukurahundi hearings that were supposed to start have been delayed because there is not enough money and some logistical issues have not been sorted out yet. The program was started by Mnangagwa in 2024 to give a chance to the victims of the Gukurahundi atrocities to speak up. The hearings were supposed to be run by a 14-member panel led by chiefs, but they have not started yet. The chiefs say the budget is not enough, and there are still many things that need to be sorted out before they can begin.

Insufficient Funds Stall Gukurahundi Hearings

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reiterated Zimbabwe’s status as a unitary state, saying the Gukurahundi episode serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of national unity and the devastating consequences of disunity.
Speaking at the launch of the Gukurahundi Community Engagement Outreach Programme in Bulawayo on Sunday, Mnangagwa acknowledged the critical role played by the late former President Robert Mugabe and Vice President Joshua Nkomo in forging national unity through the Unity Accord.
The Unity Accord was a political agreement signed in 1987 between the ruling ZANU party and the opposition ZAPU party, effectively ending the Gukurahundi massacres.
The Unity Accord merged ZANU and ZAPU into a single political party – the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF).
The agreement also established a power-sharing arrangement, with Mugabe becoming the Executive President and Nkomo becoming one of the Vice Presidents. Said Mnangagwa:
<blockquote>
Behind us lies a past etched with both triumph and hardship. The echoes of the liberation struggle still evoke strong emotions and memories, a testament to the unwavering spirit that forged our nation.
Yet, within that history is a chapter which cannot be ignored – the post-independence conflict in this Region.
This chapter serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of unity and the devastating consequences of disunity.
We owe a debt of eternal gratitude to our nation’s founding fathers, the late President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the late Father Zimbabwe Cde. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, for defying seemingly insurmountable obstacles and forging the Unity Accord of 1987.
This Unity Accord shall remain as the foundation of our unity and the emblem of our unitary State. Today, we are building on that foundation and cementing our unity, which we commit to guard jealously as our birthright in this sacred nation.
</blockquote>
Mnangagwa emphasized that the Gukurahundi Community Engagement Outreach Programme will be led by traditional leaders. He said:
<blockquote>
Today we are gathered to officially launch the Gukurahundi Community Outreach Programme. This exercise is not simply a mechanism for revisiting grievances but it is a transformative odyssey, a pilgrimage towards healing and national cohesion.
This initiative is a potent symbol of our collective will to bridge the divides that have separated us for too long. It places the onus of healing squarely on the shoulders of its most capable custodians – our esteemed Chiefs.
With their knowledge of tradition and wisdom, they will guide us through open dialogue, fostering empathy and understanding.
As we share our stories, the wounds of the past will begin to mend, thereby enabling national healing.
</blockquote>
President Mnangagwa accused the country’s former colonial rulers of sowing the seeds of disunity in Zimbabwe by pitting one ethnic group against another.
Mnangagwa’s remarks suggest that the colonial legacy and the divisive policies implemented during that era contributed to the underlying tensions and conflicts that ultimately led to the Gukurahundi atrocities.
This accusation places responsibility for the tragedy on external forces, rather than solely on the actions of the post-independence Zimbabwean government.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa says Gukurahundi serves as a reminder of the need for unity. In 1987, a pact between ZANU and ZAPU parties ended the killings. Traditional leaders will lead a healing program. Colonial rulers are blamed for causing division in Zimbabwe. Mnangagwa wants to heal the wounds of the past for national unity. The post-independence conflict is a sad chapter in Zimbabwe's history. The leaders of the past are praised for their efforts to unify the country. The program aims to mend the wounds of the past through dialogue and understanding.

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