THE mandate of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission is to deal with the scars of the post-independence disturbances in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces to address their after effects so that the victims can move on with their lives, Acting President Phelekezela Mphoko, said yesterday.
Mphoko said President Mugabe had expressed regret about the disturbances which he described as a “moment of madness” and what was left was to address the scars left by that period.
The Acting President said this at the funeral service of the late former Speaker of Parliament and chairperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, Cyril Enoch Ndebele, in Bulawayo.
Mphoko said the Commission, which was working on the Reconciliation Bill, was intent on addressing issues of birth and death certificates for victims of the disturbances.
“There were others who were saying there are people who were beaten in 2008 but we said no, we’ve a bigger issue of Gukurahundi that we must resolve,” said Acting President Mphoko.
“After the commissioning, I told him (Ndebele) that the situation we have here in Zimbabwe didn’t start with us, because I am Vice President and you are chairman. It’s very old; my predecessors (Joshua) Nkomo, Msika, John Nkomo also encountered it. I want us to prioritise our work; I don’t want us to be brought down by certain arguments.
“There is an issue that people are talking about that the President must apologise for Gukurahundi. And I said I don’t want to handle it that way ngoba ababekhona kuqala o Nkomo handled it differently”.
Acting President Mphoko said by describing the disturbances as an act of madness, President Mugabe had accepted responsibility.
“I said I wanted us to start here; the President spoke about Gukurahundi as an act of madness, and it was an acceptance of responsibility.
“He didn’t stop there. He formed a three-men committee led by the late Mabhena, to look into this matter. It didn’t succeed. They started talking of compensation and didn’t go anywhere,” said Acting President Mphoko.
“The President insisted that a Parliamentary committee for National Healing be constituted, that is commitment on the matter and we elected Ndebele as its chairperson. We then talked about the issue and we resolved to look at the scars of Gukurahundi, we then identified, one, the issue of birth certificates.”
He said the issue of birth certificates was of top priority and Ndebele and his team were working on that.
“We have children and some adults who did not have particulars in Lupane, Nkayi and some parts of the Midlands who are not going to school because they do not have identity documents. We must make sure that these children and adults get birth certificates and death certificates and thirdly we make sure that reconciliation brings empowerment and we agreed that it’s how we were going to do it,” said the Acting President who described Ndebele as a hard-working and principled man.
He said he nominated Ndebele ahead of Mr Ambrose Moyo whom the President had picked to be chairperson of the Commission because he was part of the legal team at the Lancaster House Agreement talks and was a peace builder.
Acting President Mphoko explained that Ndebele was not accorded hero status as his home province did not make a request.
“When I called the President, he asked if there was a request for hero status and I told him none had been made. I then asked for a state assisted funeral and he agreed,” he said.
Ndebele was buried at his Denver Farm on the outskirts of Bulawayo yesterday afternoon.
Speakers described Ndebele as a frank and principled man.
His son Vusisizwe described his father as a principled man who was a fountain of knowledge.
Among the mourners were Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Tshinga Dube, Angeline Masuku, Joshua Malinga, former Bulawayo deputy Mayor Amen Mpofu, former Attorney General Sobuza Gula-Ndebele, former Nust Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Clever Nyathi, Bulawayo Provincial Administrator Mrs Khonzani Ncube and former NRZ chairman Engineer Alvord Mabena.
Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, in a speech read on his behalf by Masuku, paid tribute to Ndebele for the development he brought to Parliament.
Ndebele is credited for introducing committees that supervise the executive.
Deputy Chairperson of the NPRC, Mrs Lillian Chigwedere, said the commission had lost a father figure and a pillar of strength.
“We were indeed robbed of a wise man of high integrity, full of wealth in peace building. His absence will be greatly felt,” said Mrs Chigwedere.
Professor Clever Nyathi gave a rich eulogy about Ndebele.
Ndebele passed on last Friday at Mater Dei Hospital before he could be airlifted to Harare.
A family member Mr J M Sibanda said after the arrival of an Airforce of Zimbabwe helicopter, his condition deteriorated and he could not be flown to Harare and passed on the following morning.
After the burial of Ndebele, Mphoko proceeded to Absalom Sikhosana’s home in Nkulumane to mourn the death of his wife.
Sikhosana’s wife, Monica Charity Mguni, died on Monday after suffering a stroke.
Mphoko said the best consoler is the Lord and urged residents and party members to work hard to alleviate poverty.
Mrs Laurinda Mphoko, the Acting President’s wife, donated $150 and groceries that include mealie meal, cooking oil, sugar among other basics to the Sikhosana family.-ZP
