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E-mailFrom ROHR in Zimbabwe
Today we decided to bring you something different from our usual email briefs.
Firstly we built our newsfeed today upon the foundation by laid ROHR Zimbabwe’s countrywide leadership development workshops and consultations being done currently. Secondly we invite your feedback on thoughts relayed in the transcript below.
On 15 May 2009, ROHR Zimbabwe carried a workshop in Gweru which was attended by our members and representatives of other organizations from Midlands. On the deliberations made, people gave their opinions on the burning topics of today such as the constitutional process, national healing and reconciliation, truth and justice and reparations, and the general human rights situation prevailing under the inclusive government.
One contribution by a Gweru City father, Mr Willie Muringani was of particular interest to us because his speech touched on the issue of truth, justice and compensation which is central to us and also to a majority of victims of last year’s inter - elections violence in a way that is different from the mainstream arguments we have heard today.
Therefore we decided to share the short speech with you today. Please write to us and tell us what you think about Mr Muringani’s thoughts on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Edgar Chikuvire
Information and Communications Director
Address: 5 Normandy Road, Alexandra Park, Harare
Tel: +263(4)744593, +263(4)2911641
Mob: +263912 426638
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Transcript of Willie Muringani’s speech, a participant at ROHR Zimbabwe workshop in Gweru
We are discussing and referring all our point far back there, we are talking about history, isn’t it? We are talking about Gukurahundi? We also talked about what happened in Midlands? Murambatsvina? And perhaps we talked of something that is there about what happened in June? Isn’t it.
Zvinhu zvakaoma (Things are tough) Is this the correct time to talk ladies and gentlemen, to talk about national reconciliation, truth and justice and compensation? Now! is it correct? Do we trust the government? Do we trust the police? - We don’t trust these people isn’t it?
I think earlier on somebody said we got a window and we should prioritise the things that we have at stake. We need to use the window that we have, to correct the situation which is there. How do we correct the situation?
If we manage to write the constitution of this country and also make sure that the people who are going to use that constitution do not break it, are honest people then we go ahead ,then we can look at national healing, then we look at reconciliation. How can you look at reconciliation now when people are being brutalised at farms? now! Unozviita sei izvozvo? ( how do you do that?). People have just been arrested recently?
Handiti Muchadehama asungwa, (Rights lawyer Muchadehama has been arrested), Jestina and others are being recalled to Chikurubi prison isn’t it? So you can actually see what is happening, we are right on the road. The inclusive government cannot do it? they cannot do it! They are having at the moment sticky cases that they cannot come out of.
I’m appealing to ROHR that meetings of this nature should be taken out in the rural areas, where there are a lot of people there who need to be opened up. Isu muno (us here) in the urban areas sometimes we read papers isn’t it? We open u a little bit isn’t it?
Like the other gentleman who indicated that panopuhwa chibage zvonzi chibage chakanzi chinozouya kuna nhingi (when maize is being given it is distributed selectively to predetermined people), you know you can’t tackle that one. If we are able to open up, what is in the rural areas and tell those people and try to educate, those people need education.
I think you people you are well aware last time before the 29 March elections, a lot of things changed. maconstituencies akachinja (constituencies were changed) because there was a point that more people were in the rural areas, manga musingazvioni here? (Were you not aware of that?), most of the people in the rural areas were being targeted so that they could put the same people in power and continue to frustrate and stamp on the people.
No, no I think nguva yekuti tiregererane aisati yasvika (The time for us to forgive each other hasn’t come yet) [audience applause] because we know who killed who killed who [applause] Ndinoziva nhasi akaponda nhingi akaponda munin’ina wangu ndinomuziva, (I know today the person(s) who murdered my young brother) at the moment and nothing has been done . . hapana chakaitwa (Nothing has been done).
So, you can’t talk about that one, we need to foster through timboona kuti constitution ingaitwa here. (wait and see If the constitution can be done)
Videos of these workshops are available upon request. Feel free to contact the ROHR Zimbabwe information department for copies. For photos of Willie and other participants at the workshops see http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/
