MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume has said that the National Unity Day celebrations held on 22 December every year are meaningless.

He believes that as long as the government fails to compensate the people who were affected by the
genocide, the celebrations will be devoid of meaning.

“There cannot be total healing if you
have not compensated the affected ones. So, there cannot be total unity if you are walking with the person you have beaten up and not taken to the hospital. We need that to be addressed,” said Mafume.

The Unity Day celebrations are held to commemorate the signing of the Unity Accord between ZANU PF and PF ZAPU in 1987 after years of conflict. The conflict which killed an
estimated 20 000 people is referred to as Gukurahundi. During this period, the government deployed a North Korean-trained army unit, the
Fifth Brigade which allegedly massacred thousands of civilians for who were accused of

supporting rebels in the Matabeleland and
Midlands provinces.True Zim Patriots