High Court Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi has thrown out an urgent application by the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), which sought to block the commencement of the Gukurahundi outreach hearings led by traditional chiefs.
ZAPU had challenged the legality and constitutionality of the hearings, which are set to begin this week, arguing that the process lacks independence and may retraumatize survivors.
The opposition party expressed concern that the National Council of Chiefs, tasked with facilitating the engagements, could not be seen as neutral in a matter as sensitive as Gukurahundi. In its court filing, ZAPU also warned that some testimonies might expose survivors to state retaliation.
Instead of the chiefs-led initiative, ZAPU proposed that a neutral and independent commission be established to handle the process in a more transparent and justice-oriented manner.
However, Justice Mutevedzi dismissed the case, noting that ZAPU had delayed in filing the application and only acted on the day the hearings were set to begin. He ruled that this delay undermined the urgency of the matter.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, and the National Council of Chiefs were named as respondents in the case.
The Gukurahundi atrocities, carried out by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade between 1980 and 1987, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 20,000 civilians in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands.
Although the government claims the current process is meant to promote healing and reconciliation, critics argue it falls short of delivering justice, as no perpetrators have been held accountable and victims remain uncompensated.
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