People gather at the Joshua Nkomo statue ahead of Unity Day commemorations on December 22, 2017 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to commemorate the killing that happened in Matebeleland in the early 1980s. PHOTO ZINYANGE AUNTONY/AFP
In January 1983, Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF quashed what it called dissidence by supporters of its political rvial, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).
In an operation known by a Shona term ‘Gukurahundi’ (the spring rain that washes away the chaff), the Zimbabwean military, in particular the Fifth Brigade, murdered up to 20,000 civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands.
The Catholic Commission on Justice and Peace reported widespread atrocities including as torture and extrajudicial executions.
The Habakkuk Trust has commissioned a series of videos to highlight the disproportionate impact of Gukurahundi on women in Matabeleland and Midlands.
This is the second in a series of three videos we will be featuring.
This film focuses on the number of people abducted and killed during Gukurahundi and the culture of abductions in the Zimbabwean landscape. The documentary film shows us these missing persons, their families and their constant search for answers and closure.
Below the video is a PDF on on a report on Gukurahundi compiled by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2020/08/BREAKING-THE-SILENCE.pdf” title=”BREAKING THE SILENCE”]
Lloyd Coutts has an extensive background in journalism and media spanning 40 years. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies (Hons) from the University of the Witwatersrand and has worked as a reporter, sub-editor, news editor, assistant editor and acting editor for publications such as Business Day, The Star, Business Report and Sunday World. Lloyd also has experience in wire services, notably the German Press Agency (dpa), and radio (Network Radio News and Classic FM). He also worked in television news at eNCA.
