By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe should take a leaf from Rwanda’s post-genocide reconciliation model as it embarks on its own healing process.
Mnangagwa said this in an interview at Kigali International Airport after attending the Rwanda Liberation Day at Amahoro National Stadium,
He said despite experiencing one of the most horrific ethnic clashes in contemporary world history, Rwanda is now one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, enjoying unity and peace after it successfully managed to bury its painful past.
Presidents Dr Hage Geingob (Namibia), Faure Gnassingbe (Togo), Faustin-Archange Touadera (Central Africa Republic), Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo (Somalia), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone) and Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana) also attended the liberation Silver Jubilee.
“It’s an exceptional experience of reconciliation. Twenty-five years ago Rwanda could have been torn to pieces. But then President Kagame rescued the situation, and has built a proud, united and integrated Rwanda. This should be a lesson to the rest of African Union (AU) member states.
“We still have member states of AU with such internal problems. So, the experience of Rwanda could be a classic lesson with regards to how you can integrate our nation to speak with one voice, to become sisters and brothers and move forward and put the experiences of the past which are divisive behind. Rwanda has totally succeeded in that regard,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President, who recently told traditional leaders in Bulawayo not to entertain tribalism that led to the Gukurahundi disturbances which culminated in the death of about 20 000 people between 1982 and 1987, said the Rwanda experience reminds him of the Zimbabwean situation.
“In fact, as both the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda (Dr Richard Sezibera) and President Kagame gave speeches, my mind went back to our own situation back home, and I said if it were possible, you people (journalists) and my communications director (George Charamba), could broadcast these statements back home it would assist us in our endeavour to unite Zimbabwe, in the real sense, where there is no east, south, north and central.
“We all belong to one family. It does not matter whether you come from the eastern part of the country, southern or northern part, you all come from Zimbabwe.
That was a solid message that Rwanda has achieved, and I think it is not an easy job, but it’s something to emulate to achieve, to strive to achieve and it can only be done with political will to do so.
If the will is weak, merchants of division will continue to thrive, but if there is a strong political will to deal with these issues,I think we can succeed.