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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

TRADITIONAL chiefs have been urged to prepare their communities for the start of the Gukurahundi public hearings, which are due to begin before the end of March. Further details of the programme are expected to be released within the next two weeks.

Over the weekend, the Gukurahundi steering committee met in Bulawayo to finalise preparations for the hearings.
Chief Mtshane Khumalo, the president of the National Council of Chiefs, chaired the meeting at which traditional leaders agreed to begin community outreach and awareness campaigns.

President Mnangagwa has tasked traditional leaders with leading the process of addressing the post-independence conflict that affected the Matabeleland region and parts of the Midlands, as part of national healing efforts.

The President launched the Gukurahundi public hearings programme last July, empowering traditional leaders to conduct the hearings. However, the provision of adequate resources had previously stalled progress. The government has now committed further resources to ensure the process can begin.

Following yesterday’s meeting, Chief Mtshane Khumalo, in an interview, expressed satisfaction that preparations are progressing well and stressed the importance of chiefs educating their communities about the upcoming hearings.

The public hearings will be held in rural areas, meaning those wishing to contribute will need to travel to their rural homes to make submissions.

“The message to the public is that all chiefs have been urged to make their people aware of this programme. Some have already done so, and those who haven’t should explain that the programme is imminent.

“We believe this is important; the Gukurahundi issue has been with the people in the Matabeleland region for a long time. We don’t know if we will fully close this chapter, but people should have the opportunity to share their experiences,” he said.

Chief Mtshane Khumalo

He acknowledged the challenging task ahead but expressed confidence that the training received by traditional leaders over the past five years has equipped them to manage the process effectively.

Chief Mtshane Khumalo stressed that a victim-centred approach will be crucial for the success of the meetings.
“I believe it’s a mammoth task. Initially, when we were assigned, we thought we would complete it quickly. But, having gone through the processes, I can tell you it is a mammoth task. Going to the people will not be easy, but we have been trained on how to approach this process, how to conduct the meetings. We needed training on how to approach the victims. This is not like the normal cases we preside over in our courts.

“When we approach a Gukurahundi victim, you have to be very cautious. In most cases, these people are very emotional, and if you are not careful in your approach, you might cause more harm than good. So, we have to be careful how we approach them, and that requires training,” he said.

While some have suggested the Gukurahundi public hearings will be ineffective, Chief Mtshane Khumalo urged the public not to make assumptions and to allow the process to proceed smoothly.

“I don’t think that assumption is correct,” he said. “Let’s just wait and see what the victims will say because we are not all victims, and chiefs are merely facilitators in this programme. So, let us go and hear what the victims will say and await the Government’s response and actions. I think it’s too early to pre-empt anything.”

He confirmed that further details on the preparations for the programme’s start will be provided in two weeks. Chief Mtshane Khumalo hopes to hold a final stakeholder meeting with all chiefs, rapporteurs, and panel members within the next two weeks, depending on resource availability.

“I don’t foresee any other major meetings. We are most likely to have the last meeting with all chiefs, all rapporteurs, and panel members, depending on the availability of resources. We need to remind these people what they are expected to do.

“We need some moot sessions so the chiefs can demonstrate what they have learned, if they still remember, how they will chair the meetings, and all that. They were trained over the past five years and have been in recess for a very long time. We will ask them to do some recapping; they have booklets on how the proceedings will be conducted,” he said.

He said that the Public Works Department is expected to have completed renovations to the Command Centre in Bulawayo, which will be used to store witness testimonies.

While hearings will be held in rural areas, all data will be transported to Bulawayo for storage at the Command Centre.
Chief Mtshane Khumalo confirmed that the Government has assured traditional leaders that vehicles will be available when the hearings begin.

“We have been told that there is enough transport that the Government has hired. The chiefs can also hire their own vehicles through the Central Mechanical and Equipment Department (CMED). All vehicles used will need CMED approval to ensure they are roadworthy. Chiefs will be using their own vehicles in addition to those hired for the programme,” he said.
The Government has already procured recorders and laptops for use during the programme. —@nqotshili