Tsholotsho MP to pursue documentation for children of Gukurahundi victims
Tsholotsho North’s newly elected member of Parliament, Libion Sibanda has pledged to champion justice for descendants of Gukurahundi victims as part of his development agenda in the next five years.
In an exclusive with Community Podium, Sibanda revealed that there is a section of descendants that are still struggling to acquire proper documentation due to the unfortunate history.
“It is disheartening that almost four decades after the incident, there are residents who are still being affected in such a way that they can not even acquire proper documentation. It must be government’s priority to at least assist the descendants and make sure they have access to documentation because if the issue is not looked into, it will create a cycle of exclusion. Certain national processes and services will continue to elude the victims due to lack of documentation and that is bound to affect their future generations as well.
Sibanda said ensuring that victims secure documentation would be an essential part of the healing process as bearing the impact of the tragedy decades after its occurrence is a constant reminder to the affected residents.
Tsholotsho is one of the districts worst affected by the 1980s mass killings which left at least 20 000 people dead in the Matabeleland and Midlands regions.It ended in 1987 with the signing of the Unity Accord between Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).
