Human rights group, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Friday pressured the Commission of Inquiry into the 1st of August 2018 post election violence, chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanhte, to identify culprits who killed people on the fateful day saying it is the pith of the whole investigation assignment.
The violence that rocked Harare on the fateful day claimed at least six lives when the military employed live ammunition to quench the protest.
Briefing the media in the capital today, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Programs Manager, Lizwe Jamela said in as much as there is no direct point of reference on the commission’s track lane, identifying perpetrators is the fulcrum of the mandate.
“I find it very relevant for the commission to also look into those that caused the killings because I think when you look at the terms of reference they talk about the fatal incidence of the 1st of August. So when you are talking about fatal incidence, you are talking about losses of life.
“The interest at least from my point of view and I think from a lot of people is to understand who killed the people? Under what circumstances? Why did it happen?,” he queried.
Jamela exonerated the opposition MDC, which the state shoulders the blame, saying the country has a legal system capable of dealing with illegal protests and that the shifting blame is a non event.
“Protests in Zimbabwe are legal. Issues of blame apportioning blame, to say who protested, who sent people to protest is neither here nor there. The commission’s mandate is to look at the excesses that happened.”
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Chairperson Jestina Mukoko said the 1st of August 2018 violence should not be treated in isolation as it demonstrates state’s calculated violence on citizens.
“The Forum views this violence as part of a deep systematic problem organised violence in Zimbabwe with the security sector as the main actor. This is a problem Zimbabwe has been struggling to deal with since the colonial era,” she said.
The NGO Forum is a coalition of 22 human rights organisations with its members planted countrywide to enable itself to interface with victims of human rights violation.
Meanwhile, the Commission of Inquiry is in the middle of receiving testimonies from members of the public and thereafter will conduct public hearings.
The previous administration led by Robert Mugabe did not provide the public with the findings of the Gukurahundi massacres carried by the Chihambakwe Commission where the state has been implicated with at least 20 thousand reported to have died.
However, the Motlanthe Commission has pledged that its findings will be published and recommendations will be made to the government.
