The final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the events of August 1, 2018 during which the army killed six civilians in Harare has confirmed our long held view that the Kgalema Monthlante Commission was largely compromised to an extent that no credible outcome could be expected.
If anything the Commission has only served to absolve President Mnangagwa, Zanu PF and the Zimbabwe National Army from the killings of civilians who were demonstrating against electoral fraud.
The Commission has amplified the voice of its paymaster, President Mnangagwa who was the appointing authority and at the same time has amplified the voices of witnesses aligned to Zanu PF as a way of nailing the opposition.
CIZC holds the view that the Commission has largely failed the credibility test and the final report raises more questions than answers.
We are concerned that instead of seeking to achieve national healing and reconciliation the Commission’s report will inflict more pain on victims of the August 1 shootings as well as the general citizenry.
It is disturbing that instead of focusing on the real facts, the Commission has sought to pacify and cleanse president Mnangagwa.
Consequently the Commission has set the stage for continued persecution of opposition and civil society activists.
That the Commission would blame the MDC Alliance for the August 1 incident when senior Zanu PF officials had earlier on declared that President Mnangagwa was ready to shoot for power boggles the mind.
The Zimbabwe National Army has a well known record of interfering in politics and threatening war on the opposition and it is disturbing that such facts would just be swept under the carpet.
National healing and reconciliation continues to be a pipe dream in Zimbabwe owing to lack of sincerity on the part of authorities and this explains why results of the Commission that investigated the Gukurahundi Massacres which claimed more than 20 000 lives remains a top secret up to now.
We reiterate that the army should be held accountable for the August 1 shootings. The November 2017 military coup cannot continue on the path of the army killing civilians.
CIZC will issue a full response to the Commission’s final report after consultation with civic society organisations in the country.
Source: Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
