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Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said he will next week make public the report by the Commission of Inquiry into the Post Election Violence of 1 August 2018 that left six people dead and destroyed property worth millions of dollars.

Giving his keynote address at the official opening of the 17th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference in Esigodini, Matabeleland South, President Mnangagwa said he and his deputies had studied the report and decided to share it with the public next week.

“After the voting, by the process of announcing elections, we experienced violence in Harare. We condemned that violence and I then appointed a commission of inquiry. I have since received the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence of 1st August 2018 and I will be making it public next week,” said President Mnangagwa.

Chaired by former South Africa President, Kgalema Motlanthe, the seven member team was appointed by President Mnangagwa in terms of the Commissions of Inquiry Act to investigate the violence that resulted in the death of six people after suspected MDC-Alliance supporters stormed the capital’s central business district. Property worth millions of dollars was also destroyed.

Other members of the commission are international law expert Mr Rodney Dixon QC from the United Kingdom, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku from Nigeria and former Chief of Defence Forces of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces General (Retired) Davis Mwamunyange.

Local members of the team are University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers Professors Charity Manyeruke and Lovemore Madhuku as well as former president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) Mrs Vimbai Nyemba.

During the inquiries conducted in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare members of the bereaved families, members of the public who witnessed the violence, civic society members, health practitioners, mortuary attendants and ballistic experts among others testified.

Among the high profile officials summoned to the hearings are Police Commissioner General, Godwin Matanga, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Phillip Valerio Sibanda and the tactical commander of the National Reaction Force who is also Presidential Guard Commander Brigadier-General Anselem Sanyatwe .

Other prominent officials who testified are Attorney General Mr Prince Machaya, former Home Affairs Minister Dr Obert Mpofu, MDC Alliance president Mr Nelson Chamisa as well as the opposition party’s senior official Mr Tendai Biti and MDC T spokesperson Linda Masarira.

President Mnangagwa, in his address yesterday, commended Zanu-PF members for upholding peace and unity during the election period that the ruling party resoundingly won.

“This conference comes on the backdrop of a very eventful year which witnessed the holding of our watershed General Harmonised elections on July 30th 2018. It was indeed a crucial election held under a more open, transparent, peaceful and democratic political environment. I want to commend the ten provinces for conducting the election in peace and unity that we still enjoy today,” said President Mnangagwa.

“As a party, we called for unity, peace, love and harmony during the campaign period. I commend all the structures and wings of the party for heeding this call during and after the election period. I appeal to us all to entrench this non-violent culture going forward.”