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Vusumuzi Dube and Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporters
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo yesterday for the Gukurahundi indaba with traditional leaders from Matabeleland region.

The President arrived at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport aboard an Air Zimbabwe plane.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Cde July Moyo, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi and the acting registrar general, Mr Henry Machiri.

President Mnangagwa was welcomed by Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and State Security Minister Owen Ncube, Service Chiefs and other senior Government officials.

Minister Kazembe said the President and chiefs meeting is aimed at resolving the Gukurahundi subject.

“It’s significant, it’s a continuation of a series of meetings that he has been having with chiefs. There are a number of issues that are still outstanding. As you would appreciate our President is a listening President, he has been engaging chiefs. So, this is probably the fourth meeting on the same issue,” he said.

President Mnangagwa has committed to address the Gukurahundi issue and has encouraged citizens to openly speak on the subject as part of the measures to confront the country’s dark past.

This has seen Gukurahundi being discussed and mainstreamed in the national discourse while in the past it was whispered in enclave groupings. President Mnangagwa was last year expected to launch access to national documentation including birth certificates and national identity cards as well as death certificates for Gukurahundi victims but the programme was affected by the outbreak of Covid-19.

The pandemic has restricted the movement of citizens while Government departments have been operating with skeleton staff as part of the Covid-19 prevention measures.

Following a meeting with traditional leaders last year, it was resolved that chiefs would lead the exhumation and reburial of Gukurahundi victims as they better understand customs and traditions of their subjects.

President Mnangagwa has also engaged civil society leaders as part of efforts to address Gukurahundi and among the groups he has met is Matabeleland Collect.

Today’s meeting is testimony of the President’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the Gukurahundi disturbances among many issues affecting the Matabeleland region.

The Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has vowed to resolve matters to do with political disturbances that took place soon after independence, known as Gukurahundi, as part of promoting national healing.

Briefing journalists on today’s meeting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza revealed that before today’s meeting the National Council of Chiefs has for the past two weeks been engaging in consultative meetings with various groupings from the region.

“His Excellency, the President will receive recommendations on how to deal with issues related to Gukurahundi. The National Council of Chiefs has in the past two weeks been engaged in intensive stakeholder consultations with various groups from Matabeleland.

“The meeting is a demonstration of His Excellency’s commitment to find a lasting solution to matters affecting the region and, in particular the Gukurahundi,” said Mrs Mabhiza.

Also expected to attend the meeting is the Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Judith Ncube and other senior Government officials.

Since he came to power, President Mnangagwa has lived to his promise to address and openly discuss issues and challenges surrounding the unrest that happened in the 1980s in order to promote national healing and development.-@nqotshili