Thumbs-up for Motlanthe report
THE findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 post-election violence which left six people dead and property destroyed point to the need for Zimbabweans to bury their political differences and build the nation together, political observers said yesterday.
President Mnangagwa on Tuesday made public a report of the Commission, which was chaired by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe and comprised six other experts of international repute.
In an interview with The Herald yesterday, political analyst Mr Richard Mahomva said the report raised fundamental issues.
“At a more specific level, publication of the report inaugurates a monumental shift in the subject of peace, reconciliation and national healing in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Mahomva.
“At a more holistic level, the Motlanthe Report confirms the mandate delivery of the Mnangagwa administration in the sphere of cultivating transparency on contested political processes and threats to securing national interests,” he said.
“Of value is how it capsules a wide-flowing stream of sources evidence that were used in the build-up of the Commission’s case,” he said.
Mr Mahomva said the report stressed the need for Zimbabweans to unite in addressing the challenges they face.
“To this end, Government’s commitment to ensuring public participation in promoting cohesion and social integration beyond the binaries of political divides is noted,” he said.
“Consequently, the report gives a clear outline of the racing propositions of violence which saw the nation plunging into a crisis owing to partisan instigation of terror at the behest of the MDCAlliance.
“Against that backdrop, the report is indicative of the fact that Zimbabweans need to go beyond political polarisation and find a unifying point to the nation-building agenda,” he said.
University of Zimbabwe lecturer Mr Eldred Masunungure said the inquiry had performed an onerous task and its recommendations were instructive.
“The Commission of Inquiry was involved in a very delicate and sensitive exercise. It was a very sensitive and contested time so they tried to navigate without offending the rights of various interest groups. Any reasonable person cannot disagree with the recommendations of the Commission, for instance the need to register political parties, because it becomes difficult to control them without a regulatory framework. The aspect of retraining of the police and the military is also important because you cannot have a transition without retraining,” he said.
The MDC Alliance has rejected the findings in toto, and Mr Masunungure said it was unfortunate for the opposition outfit to dismiss the report wholesale.
He said other political parties and stakeholders mentioned in the report had certain things they did not agree with but embraced it.
“In short, I am saying there are some good findings and recommendations in the report that the Government should implement,” he said.
Political analyst Mr Tafadzwa Mugwadi applauded President Mnangagwa and Government for publishing the report.
“President Mnangagwa and his Government deserve national, regional and global applause for breaking with the past tradition by being brave to publish the full report of the Motlanthe Commission, more so against the backdrop of misplaced fears and unbridled demands by some sections of the parallel media, civil society and the US in particular,” he said.
Mr Mugwadi said President Mnangagwa had proved to be a man of his word.
“He has shown the world that he is a man of his word because he made it crystal clear that he would unveil the contents of the document to the people of Zimbabwe and the world because he, as an individual and his Government in particular, did not have anything to hide. Most interestingly, all eyes are on the US which conditioned re-engagement with Zimbabwe on the release of this report to see whether they are sincere or they will invent a new set of demands if they do not, as usual, raise a new set of grievances,” said Mr Mugwadi.
On the recommendations by the Commission, Mr Mugwadi said the report should serve as a reminder to Zimbabweans that “we are one”.
“If one looks at the recommendations, it is clear that as a nation we have been shown a clear roadmap to emerge from the trap of election fever and accept that we are one nation and the imperatives of reconciliation must be embraced by all beyond politicking. Thanks that we have the National Reconciliation and Peace Commission whose basis for existence and lifespan is national healing,” he said.
Mr Mugwadi also spoke on the need for Government to compensate victims.
“Most importantly, the Commission has recommended that the Government consider compensation of victims injured, the dead and those who lost properties. However, this recommendation means the State’s cash box is now going to be affected by the actions of the instigators of the violence, which the Commission identified as the MDC-Alliance. That means prosecutorial action must follow for those who instigated the violence, with prohibitive punishment being meted against them to ensure that such deplorable deliberate breaches against peace and harmony must never repeat themselves again in the country,” he said.
MDC-T vice president Mr Obert Gutu described the Motlanthe Report as balanced and fair.
“The Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry report comes across as very balanced and well packaged. As Zimbabweans, we should take up the recommendations made therein and work towards making our country a better place for us all,” said Mr Gutu. He urged maturity. “We have got to learn to be mature, reasonable and focused. The Commission was composed of men and women of impeccable integrity. Motlanthe himself is a veteran trade unionist and liberation struggle icon in South Africa. If people are prepared to reject the findings of the Commission, then they can go ahead to do so. After all, it is a constitutional right to be myopic,” added Mr Gutu.
In its findings, the Commission of Inquiry concluded that the violence was preplanned and that deployment of the military was justified. It, however, deplored the use of excessive force and live ammunition by the military and police in dealing with the rioters.
It came up with a number of recommendations including compensation for victims of the violence and their dependants, registration of political parties to ensure accountability of their leaders and the need to encourage political parties to preach peace to reduce polarisation in the country.