Former government minister Jonathan Moyo has raised red flags over President Mnangagwa’s involvement in the Gukurahundi killings that claimed lives in south western parts of Zimbabwe in the early 1980s.
Moyo posted an old press report where Mnangagwa reported to Zimbabwe Parliament that the hotel and entertainment bill for the 106 strong North Korean Gukurahundi team that came to form the Fifth Brigade was $12 983.17.
This has made one person to say “Gukurahundi wasn’t a defence issue nor a normal operation but a clandestine operation with ED Mnangagwa at the heart of it. He was also the chief propagandist too. It also illustrates that those who wish to blame Min. Of Defence, among others, are misguided.”
Mnangagwa previously refused responsibility and even tried to sue accusers but was silenced by old state media reports( especially Bulawayo Chronicle) which linked him to the killings.
Writing about the issues, Moyo said:
Tax payers were billed by Mnangagwa to foot the hotel bill for the North Koreans who established the Fifth Brigade that committed genocide in Matabeleland. Note that it was Mnangagwa, not the defence minister, answering on the Fifth Brigade for the Ministry of Defence!
Questioning why peope should be reminded about Mnangagwa’s past, South African based businessman Mutumwa Mawere asked ”
What is the significance of this revelation, if any?“
Moyo responded:
My alleged willingness is true only in your head & kumba kwenyu. I challenge any ediot to prove the willingness with a V11. At the so-called Tsholotsho Declaration, which was a prize giving speech day at Dinyane High School, Mnangagwa & cronies had their agenda & we had ours!
Others believe Mnangagwa’s dark past is of national interest and should be discussed openly so that people can understand where he is taking the country to.
ED’s official position is that he knew nothing about the North Koreans activities as he was not the Commander of the Army, Minister Defense or the P.M. But press from the time & old video footage is now surfacing stating otherwise.
The significance is that history helps us locate the present. If there is time this is significant it is now when ED is now President of Zimbabwe. It will help us create a balance sheet of his political aspirations, what he claims against what he really stands for!
Moyo’s critics who support Mnangagwa say the accusations are baseless as ED was just a government spokesperson and representative whose mandate was just to carry duties on behald of his superiors.