Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa was in Bulawayo for a second meeting with the Matabeleland Civil Society leaders on Friday where he had a torrid time as Matabeleland demanded answers on how the government would bring closure to the Gukurahundi atrocities, which happened in the region in the early 1980s.

Mnangagwa was in Bulawayo to make a follow up on achievements made from his Match 2019 engagement with the Matabeleland Collective. In his first meeting, Mnangagwa had it easy as the group appeared uncoordinated and not sure how to handle him. Issues were presented haphazardly giving Mnangagwa a chance to ride above the grouping. In fact, the collective immediately split after Mnangagwa’s first engagement with a splinter section blaming the leadership for being too nice and soft with Mnangagwa.

Those who left the Collective have since formed a counter Matabeleland Forum which has vowed that it will never meet with Mnangagwa as such meetings will be tantamount to endorsing his “illegitimate” presidency.

The former members boycotted the engagement, claiming that the union had been hijacked by Mnangagwa’s blue-eyed boys.

Those who attended on Friday were in a no nonsense mood as they heavily grilled Mnangagwa on his failure to own up and bring closure to the Gukurahundi massacres.

Baster Magwizi, a former ZIPRA cadre and Zimbabwe National Army officer, challenged Mnangagwa to come out in the open and acknowledge his participation in Gukurahundi and offer a genuine apology to the people of Matabeleland.

“We must start with and acknowledgement that Gukurahundi happened. It occurred in the past, but it is still happening,” he said.

“That public acknowledgement sets benchmarks for an apology. As ZIPRA, we are victims of Gukurahundi. We were the first victims and when we were first victimised we ran home where we were butchered with our families.

“I was in the army, I saw it. This is not acrimonious nor vengeance, but we want public acknowledgement that Gukurahundi was a traumatic experience. We don’t want to take the matter to the international arena, we believe in home grown solutions. The president must release the Dumbutshena and Chihambakwe commissions. People must know what happened in Entumbane and Seke. There must be space for full disclosure,” said Magwizi.

A youth representative, Zibusiso Moyo said youths wanted to be told the truth on exactly what happened during Gukurahundi and why their parents were murdered.

She demanded that Gukurahundi history be put in books and taught in schools.

“It has to be documented and academically taught,” she said.

In his address, Mnangagwa tried to escape from Magwizi’s barrage claiming that he was also a founder member of ZIPRA in 1962 and would therefore want to be involved when ZIPRA discusses its issues.

Without words to say in response to the attack on his Gukurahundi involvement, Mnangagwa escaped the issue by calling for a careful consideration of the Gukurahundi issues.

“Gukurahundi requires careful consideration with due regard to families. My government is working on how best to solve this in a manner that does not offend anyone,” he said.

However, the Permanent Secretary in the Justice Ministry, Virginia Mabhiza, said the government was set to start exhumations of Gukurahundi victims.

“Exhumations are to be done orderly in a legal manner. Communities, faith-based organisations and NPRC (National Peace and Reconciliation Commission) are to work together legally,” she said.

“There were some who wanted to conduct illegal exhumations and government had to object. It was made clear that discussing Gukurahundi was not a criminal offence as long as the talks are not in bad faith or incite violence but to assist the healing process. Government hasn’t received any victimisation reports.”

Mabhiza said the Public Service and Health ministries were identified as line ministries to provide medical and psycho support services for the surviving Gukurahundi victims as counselling in communities.