Ibhetshu LikaZulu has expressed concern at the rate at which perceived perpetrators of Gukurahundi are dying without justice served to victims.
Their concern comes after the death of Director General in Charge of Civil-Military Relations in the Zimbabwe Defense Forces, Brigadier General Emile Munemo.
Munemo was one of the commanders of Fifth Brigade, the army that committed atrocities in Matabeleland and Midlands killing over 20 000 people from 1983 to 1987.
The late, promoted to be Fifth Brigade commander in 1982, was in charge of administration and logistics with Perrance Shiri (current Minister of Lands Agriculture and Rural Resettlement) the overall commander, responsible for training and operations.
Munemo became overall commander of the Fifth Brigade in 1983 and reports say he once told a story of how they denied the Ndebele people to bury their dead, and killed those who wept.
His interview in 1996 is available on this link: https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/3736331/19058_UBA002000573_09.pdf
Secretary-General of Ibhetshu LikaZulu Mbuso Fuzwayo told CITE that although Brigadier Munemo’s death was sad news to his family, Gukurahundi victims were still grieving for their loved ones.
“Ibhetshu LikaZulu is concerned on the lack of urgency to address the Gukurahundi genocide. This lack of urgency will continue to deny the nation the entire truth from those that implemented this callous act thus and deprive victims their true healing,” he said.
Fuzwayo noted that as a pressure group advocating for Gukurahundi justice, they would continue to push authorities to take action.
“Some of the perpetrators involved in Gukurahundi are in power now and these individuals want to take the truth to their graves. This will be an act of selfishness and denies the country proper and true integration,” he said.
He urged the government to urgently address Gukurahundi in order to provide justice to the victims and survivors.
“There are children who do not possess legal documents as their families were killed and no one has taken responsibility for them. These are grievances that need to be addressed for the country to go forward,” Fuzwayo appealed.
The Fifth Brigade army consisted of three battalions of just over 1 000 men each.
Munemo commanded 24th Infantry Battalion stationed at Rushinga in Mt Darwin, which was later deployed to Zvishavane from where it operated in the Midlands.
By 1983 battalions were in Lupane, Tsholotsho and Nkayi.
