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Zimbabwe Activists Seek Truth About 1980s Massacre and 1996 Harare prison massacre |
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January 10, 2018 10:57 AM |
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During his 37 years as Zimbabwe's prime minister and president, Robert Mugabe killed hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans , ran the country's economy into the ground, and instilled a culture of political violence and paranoia that will likely long outlast him |
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Activists in southern Zimbabwe are taking legal action to demand the truth about a series of massacres in the 1980s that targeted perceived opponents of then-president Robert Mugabe. Between 20,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed by the fifth under the authority of ousted President Robert Mugabe , who was seizing land.The activists have asked Zimbabwe's High Court to compel Mnangagwa's government to release the findings of a commission of inquiry on the massacres. They want to seek the truth about a brutal massacre in Chikurubi Prison on the outskirts of the Zimbabwe capital the largest holding up to 1700 imamates more than 1200 inmates were brutally killed over a period of hours in the heat of a Zimbabwean summer in 1996 after a riot broke out as prisoner's protested against appalling conditions and treatment in what was the most heinous act in his 37 year rule. An estimated 1260 prisoners by the security forces od the former Zimbabwean regime. The man who was the security minister at the time who is believed to have ordered to guards to gun down rioters something he has denied ex finance minister Ignatius chombo who is charged with corruption offences . .Dumisani Dube, a lawyer for the Z is hopeful despite previous unsuccessful attempts. He says the situation has changed in Zimbabwe since 2013, when a new constitution was enacted. "In terms of the new constitution of Zimbabwe, section 62, there is a constitutional provision on the right to access to information, which entitles any person the right to any information which is held by the state in the interest of public accountability, fairness, human dignity and justice. So, we are very positive," Dube said. Ousted president Mugabe is cited in the court application, as it was his government which presided over the massacres between 1982 and 1985 and also in June 1996. The early 1980s atrocities targeted members of the ethnic Ndebele population believed to support former Vice President Joshua Nkomo, then an opponent of Mugabe. Lawyer Dube said he would serve the papers to the British embassy in Harare for transmission to Theresa May's government in London. The pressure group wants the British government to release classified documents that might have details about the massacres. A 47 year old woman who asked not to be named who survived who lost her then 22 year old brother was a witness to the prison massacre. It was in late June 1996. Prisoners at there began to riot over poor prison conditions. In response, the Mugabe regime said it would send negotiators. Instead, it sent in a firing squad and systematically gunned down 1,200 prisoners . "It's very painful, as I speak it still hurts me," she told Al Jazeera.*"Those who did these things should come and apologise to us, otherwise nothing has changed, we can't move on." they were tortured and killed in the most gruesome manner nearly 1200 unarmed defenceless prisoners who were only standing up to their outrageous treatment were killed in just a few hours, she had been arrested for her involvement in political group named the Movement for democratic change mdc a movement Mugabe long perceived as a threat to his rule — and imprisoned her at the prison when she was 25 in 1995, along with her 22 yearold twin brother whose only offense was having a similar name. I remember hearing shooting and screams and cell doors banning and machine gunners in the courtyard and grenade's being thrown . Everyone over 1200 was killed in just 2.5 hours ,” They killed doctors , education professionals, community leaders, church leaders solicitor's. Although she knew what happened to her twin brother, many other families were left in the dark. Authorities quietly buried the bodies under the prison and the prison guards acted for years as if the captives were still alive when families came to deliver food and clothes.The families of those killed Frustrated by a lack of information regarding their loved ones, a group of 30 families filed a complaint in a Zimbabwe civil court in 2007.In 2008, in an unprecedented action, the relatives began to gather each Saturday in front of the Zimbabwe courthouse to demand answers.The Zimbabwean government, anxious to rehabilitate its international image and end its longstanding diplomatic isolation, attempted to appease the families, issuing death certificates and compensation. “After 12 years, the system just gave us a paper,” she said. “To us, this document indicated your son or brother dad sister mom had an accident and died .”“We demanded the bodies and punishment of those responsible,” she said. |
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Mnangagwa, speaking at his inauguration, said he wanted to help create jobs, reimburse farmers whose lands were seized and stamp out corruption. He has also promised presidential elections later this year. those who lost family under Mugabe will want to see if can stick to his promises of a democractic change after nearly 4 decades of oppression. The 75-year-old Zimbabwean leader has yet to comment on the issue since coming to power in November in an army-backed takeover. |
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