Former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe has defended the Commission of Inquiry tasked to investigate the 1st of August post election violence saying the probe team is composed of honorable people.
Briefing the media after the commission’s swearing in ceremony at State House yesterday, Motlanthe who chairs the probe team said the inclusion of National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) President, Professor Lovemore Madhuku and Professor Charity Manyeruke gives it a bit of credibility.
Soon after the appointment of the commission by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, there was a public outcry by the opposition and human rights groups against the local composition of the commission amid concerns that Madhuku and Manyeruke were compromised.
Motlanthe said he is not worried by sentiments against the two as they are honorable people.
“These are honorable people so it gives the commission a bit of credibility.
“It doesn’t worry us at all because we want to hear from the people. If the people have that kind of worry they will tell us and we will consider that as a commission.”
Professor Madhuku was a candidate in the July 30 harmonized elections and Professor Manyeruke is Zanu PF member with a position in the ruling party’s Women’s League.
The commission will reconvene on Saturday marking the beginning of the investigations which according to Motlanthe will be done publicly.
“We will talk to every Zimbabwean publicly. On Saturday we will issue a statement inviting all Zimbabweans giving them our contact numbers.
“You can’t have public hearings and thereafter have a secret report. It has to be a public report of course,” said Motlanthe.
In the past, the government has not made public, findings of the Chihambakwe Commission which investigated the Gukurahundi atrocities where an estimated 20 000 people from Midlands and Matebeleland were butchered and skepticism remains high that the Motlanthe commission report might not see the light of the day if key government figures are implicated in the 1st of August army killings.
