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VP Mphoko

Auxilia Katongomara: Bulawayo Bureau

THE main agenda of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission is to deal with the scars of 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, Cde Phelekezela Mphoko, said yesterday.Cde 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, Cde Cyril Enoch Ndebele, in Bulawayo.

Cde 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 have 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 did not start with us, because I am Vice President and you are chairman. It’s very old; my predecessors Cde (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 did not stop there. He formed a three-men committee led by the late Mabhena, to look into this matter. It did not succeed. They started talking of compensation and did not 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 Cde Ndebele and his team were working on that.

The Acting President described Cde Ndebele as a hard-working and principled man. He said he nominated Cde 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 Cde 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. Cde Ndebele was buried at his Denver Farm on the outskirts of Bulawayo yesterday afternoon.

Speakers described Cde 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 Cdes 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 and Bulawayo Provincial Administrator Mrs Khonzani Ncube among others.

After the burial of Cde Ndebele, Cde Mphoko proceeded to Cde Absalom Sikhosana’s home in Nkulumane to mourn the death of his wife.

Cde Sikhosana’s wife, Monica Charity Mguni, died on Monday after suffering a stroke. Cde 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.