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Vusumuzi Dube and Nqobile Tshili

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo yesterday for an indaba with traditional leaders from Matabeleland region that will focus on a number of issues, including disturbances that took place in the region and parts of the Midlands Province in the 1980s.

The President arrived at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport aboard an Air Zimbabwe plane.

He was accompanied by Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and the Acting Registrar General, Mr Henry Machiri.

President Mnangagwa was welcomed by Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and Minister of State for National Security Owen Ncube, Service Chiefs and other senior Government officials.

Minister Kazembe said the President and chiefs’ meeting was aimed at resolving the 1980s disturbances in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands.

“It’s significant; it’s a continuation of a series of meetings that he has been having with chiefs. There are a number of issues that are still outstanding. As you would appreciate our President is a listening President, he has been engaging chiefs. So, this is probably the fourth meeting on the same issue,” he said.

President Mnangagwa has committed to address the issue of the disturbances and has encouraged citizens to openly speak on the subject as part of measures to address the issue.

This has seen issues around the disturbances being discussed and mainstreamed in the national discourse openly as opposed to the past when people could only whisper.

Last year, the President was expected to launch a programme on access to national documentation including birth certificates and national identity cards as well as death certificates for victims of the disturbances.

However, the programme was affected by the outbreak of Covid-19, which saw a raft of measures such travel restrictions being rolled out to contain the spread of the pandemic.

Following a meeting with traditional leaders last year, it was resolved that chiefs would lead the exhumation and reburial of victims of the disturbances as they better understand customs and traditions of their subjects.

President Mnangagwa has also engaged civil society leaders as part of efforts to address the issue of the disturbances.

Among the groups that have met the President include the Matabeleland Collect.

Today’s meeting is testimony to the President’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to the Matabeleland disturbances, among many other issues affecting the region.

The Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has vowed to resolve matters to do with political disturbances that took place soon after independence, as part of promoting national healing.

Briefing journalists yesterday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said before today’s meeting, the National Council of Chiefs has for the past two weeks been engaging in consultative meetings with various groupings from the region.

“His Excellency, the President will receive recommendations on how to deal with issues related to Gukurahundi. The National Council of Chiefs has in the past two weeks been engaged in intensive stakeholder consultations with various groups from Matabeleland.

“The meeting is a demonstration of His Excellency’s commitment to find a lasting solution to matters affecting the region and, in particular the Gukurahundi,” said Mrs Mabhiza.

Minister Ncube, and other senior Government officials, are expected to attend.