Mzila-Ndlovu vows to seek Gukurahundi Justice

EX-NATIONAL Healing co-minister
Moses Mzila-Ndlovu has declared that
he will never lose his voice in
demanding justice for Gukurahundi
victims.
Mzila-Ndlovu, an outspoken critic of
President Robert Mugabe and the
Gukurahundi genocide, was arrested
several times since the formation of
the inclusive government for speaking
about the 1980s disturbances.
At one time he declared the arrests
only served to harden him and dared
the police to continue arresting him as
he would never keep quiet about the
atrocities until some form of justice
was achieved.
Mzila-Ndlovu, a senior member of the
MDC led by Welshman Ncube, said it
was only through openly speaking
about the massacres that victims
could find closure.
However, since Mzila-Ndlovu lost his
Bulilima West seat to Zanu PF, he has
been keeping a low profile which he
attributed to the low media coverage
he was now getting.
"The kind of media coverage that we
used to get before the elections is
different to the one that we get now.
Maybe the media has shifted focus
and this may sound to the general
public as if I lost my voice after the
elections," Mzila-Ndlovu.
State security agents have previously
stifled debate on Gukurahundi
resulting in several politicians, civil
society activists, media personnel and
members of the clergy being arrested
or harassed for raising the matter.
Bulawayo–based visual artist Owen
Maseko was incarcerated for holding
an art exhibition depicting the horrors
of Gukurahundi.
Mzila-Ndlovu said he would remain
outspoken over Gukurahundi until
there was justice.
"It is inconceivable to suggest that I
will keep quiet because of the July 31
elections outcome. The issues that I
was articulating before still remain
unresolved and as such, Mzila-Ndlovu
will keep calling for justice. It is not my
fight, but a fight for every
Zimbabwean seeking justice for
human rights violations," Mzila-
Ndlovu said.
The Catholic Commission for Justice
and Peace has said that at least 20 000
people, including children and
pregnant mothers, were killed in the
genocide that only ended after the
then opposition Zapu leader the late
Vice-President Joshua Nkomo signed
a Unity Accord with Zanu PF in 1987.
Official reports on the massacres have
never been made public and
discussion on the operation
suppressed.
The closest Mugabe came to even
acknowledging Gukurahundi was
when he termed the period "a
moment of madness".