DEFENCE minister Sydney Sekeramayi has been implicated as having been instrumental in the post-independence atrocities committed by President Robert Mugabe’s government that left over 20 000 civilians dead.
A declassified document from US spy agency, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), quotes Sekeramayi as having indicated that a crack North-Korean trained military unit codenamed Fifth Brigade had specific instructions at deployment.
“Renewed violence at the end of 1982 provoked the government into a full-scale military campaign against Zapu. The dissidents attacked cars, buses and trains and destroyed government construction equipment; they seized several hostages and killed six whites,” the report said.
“The 5th Brigade was sent to Matabeleland in January 1983 with a mandate to be ‘relentless in neutralising dissident elements,’ according to Minister of State for Defence Sekeramayi.
“Although there were some exaggerated Press reports of atrocities against Ndebele villagers by the all-Shona brigade, there is little doubt it engaged in indiscriminate brutality and destroyed property, including entire villages, in several instances,” the report said.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Sekeramayi said he was yet to see the declassified report.
“I am yet to see that report,” he said.
When NewsDay quizzed him on whether the quoted words were consistent with what he might have said at the time, the Defence minister insisted: “I have not had sight of the report you are referring to.”
According to the CIA, the government followed a campaign, also codenamed “Mailed Fist”, whose aim, besides ending dissident violence also targeted the elimination of “Zapu as a political organisation”.
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has denied culpability in the atrocities, arguing he was neither head of government nor the army at the time. Mugabe has described Gukurahundi, which continues to raise emotions, as a “moment of madness”.
Several accounts have accused Mnangagwa and Sekeramai of playing a leading role.- Newsday
DEFENCE minister Sydney Sekeramayi was
one of the master mind being highly been instrumental in the post-independence
atrocities committed by President Robert Mugabe’s government that left over 20
000 civilians dead.
Munangagwa , Enos Nkala and Sekeramayi addressed a forced rally in Lupane in
1983 , with Munangagwa describing us as cockroaches whom the North-Korean
trained military unit codenamed Fifth Brigade had specific instructions at
deployment to crack down all of us.
Sekeramayi and Munangagwa speaking in sishona whilst Enos Nkala was interpretor
told us to follow J Nkomo in London or face being thrown into the sea. The
government in 1983 went into a full-scale military campaign against Zapu and
Ndebele people whom the government accussed of being supporters on Cde J Nkomo.
This was after the dissidents attacked cars, buses and trains and destroyed
government construction equipment; they seized several hostages and killed six
whites.
“The 5th Brigade was sent to Matabeleland in January 1983 with a mandate
to be ‘relentless in neutralising dissident elements please google the panorama
videos Gukurahundi 1 and 2 which live interviews of both the Minister of State
for Defence Sekeramayi and Prime Minister Mugabe clearly making their point
clear , Nkomo will be crushed, how can he deny that.
Some of us where dragged from our villages by both police and Gukurahundi to
attend the rallies being forced to sing isishona even though it was the first
time to hear the language. The Press both print and electronic ignored the atrocities
against Ndebele villagers by the all-Shona brigade which was engaged in
indiscriminate brutality and destroyed property, including entire villages, in
several instances.
The ZBC presenter Nyasha Maphosa who
later changed the surname used to potray Nkomo as dissident yet the Mugabe
sanctioned brutality was targeted the elimination of “Zapu as a political
organisation”. (Gukurahundi )-Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and DEFENCE
minister Sydney Sekeramayi played leading role in the 1983 atrocities with Enos
Nkala being used in the Gukurahundi massarces.
So, he needs to see the said report first on his alleged involvement in the atrocities in order to respond and come clean or apologise once at last. Smacks of the guilty are always afraid adage. Rinemanyanga hari putirwi….the truth will set you free !