Talk:Gukurahundi

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This article alone should go to prove that Robert Mugabe never has, and never will, be anything more than a common terrorist.

[edit] Bias

This article needs to be edited as it is one sided. It is well known that there is another side to this story which is being omitted for politicking. What happened to Gwesela and many others like him who killed white Zimbabweans and Shonas in Matebeland and Midlands. Attrocities were committed by both the armed Dissidants and 5th Brigade. This is the part thats missing in this article.

Response

While I did not write the original article, I felt that I have enough knowledge to respond to the concerns of the above person as I have studied the Gukurahundi as part of my master's thesis, having read all published human rights reports on the subject. The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe found that of all the violent acts commited between 1982 and 1987 in the affected areas, 80% were commited by the 5th Brigade, 6.5% were commited by the Central Intelligence Organization, and 4.% by the regular army. Only 2% of all violence committed (this includes rape, murder, property loss, torture, detention, etc.) was commited by dissidents. While every case of rape and murder is a tragedy, the statistical evidence is clear that the violence was overhelwmingly carried out by state agents (98%), and a very tiny minority by dissident groups. In such a case, it is only reasonable that the actions of the state are highlighted over the actions of dissident individuals. If one was to give equal credence to both the violence of the dissidents and the state one would over-exaggerate the threat of the dissidents, and undervalue the explicit political motivations of the conflict - which was to destroy ZAPU.

Of course all this assumes that the dissidents were actually Zimbabwean dissidents. While it is certain that at least some of the 'dissidents' were former Zipra soldiers who had either refused to end the war in the first place, or left after being integrated into the national army, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the most violence attrocities commited by the so-called dissidents were actually South African agents operating under the guise of 'Super-Zapu' as part of Operation Drama. This Super-Zapu was made up largely of former Selous-Scouts and African soldiers from the short-lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia state who had refused integration into Mugabe's national army. There is also plenty of evidence to suggest that some of the 'dissidents' were criminal opportunists, who used the violence and confusion for personal profits. Additionally, there is evidence that suggests ZANU politicians and partisans hired 'hit squads' to settle political and economic scores - including the murder of 16 missionaries in Matobo in order to settle a land dispute.

In total, 33 white farmers, and their family members, died during the five year period. This is comared to the near 10,000 Africans killed by the government. While every death is a tragedy, it would be border-line racist to overplay the significance of their deaths, as on any given day more Africans would die at the hands of the 5th Brigade then did so-called "Rhodies" throughout the whole period. In general the NGO human rights reports agree that the dissidents played a significant role in the conflict, but in general, the legitimate dissidents (ie not ZANU hit squads, South African agents, or common criminals) were resonsible for few death, and instead concentrated on property destruction.

Overall, the dissidents (ex-Zipra, SA agents, ZANU hit squads, & criminals) provided a grave risk to the security of the rural people of Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands. They committed horrendous crimes as they ravaged the countryside, and it was a threat that needed to be dealt with. As the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe has admitted, a longtime critic of human rights abuses both under the Smith and Mugabe governments, the government was correct when it said it had the duty to maintain law and order in the country. However, the actions of the government in response to the dissidents appear to have little to do with maintaining law and order, but rather only increased the level of terror and violence in Matabeleland and the Midlands. This is the true horror of the Gukurahundi campaign, and it's for good reason that this Wikipedia article in question concentrated on these state-sponsored crimes against humanity.

[edit] Excellenet Article

With the death of the free media in Zimbabwe, and the clamping down of political space in my beloved home country, it is wonderful that the internet can be used to expose the horrendous atrocities of this evil government. Having watched the movie documentary that the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, I can only say that the article is fair. Besides this if the government wanted to show its side of the story, then it would publish the Dumbutshena Report. However anyone who knows this government knows that they would not release the full report as it would damage their reputation, and show them for the people they truly are. ZANU (PF) showed their true colours by murdering hundreds of people from 2000, people of all colours, it is only unfortunate that the murders of white farmers gained more international publicity then the murder of hundreds of civilians, whose only 'crime' was to hold a different view to the government. Murambatsvina is one classic example of the governments uncaring attitude towards the people. If the person who wrote 'Bias' would like to demonstrate the danger otherwise homeless civilians caused to the nation, I would be most interested to hear it. Well Gukuruhundi was even more sinister then Murambatsvina, with half the nation being terrorised, and people don't know it's true extent. Go into Matabeleland and see the contempt that is shown to Ndebeles, from government officials. That is the saddest part, Gukuruhundi has permanently divided the country, and that was not because a few soldiers dissented from the army.

Thank-you for allowing me to comment.

Proud Bulawayo Boy82.11.191.178 08:48, 27 January 2007 (UTC)