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National Healing process, communities learn to unite against violence
Heal Zimbabwe Trust
September 06, 2010

" . . . I'm embarrassed and ashamed to stand before this gathering, it pains me that four family heads died the same day in my village owing to political violence. I find it difficult to speak to you as the village head, I'm ashamed, I cannot talk. I'm torn in between being the village head, the (ZANU PF) chairperson and my position as a family relative . . ." Mr Chingwidze, Village Head, Village 11b, Eaglenest, Headlands

Heal Zimbabwe in conjunction with local communities in Manicaland's Headlands, Rusape and Chiendambuya districts held 6 memorial services for victims of the post 29 March 2008 political violence. The memorial services commenced on Sunday 29 August and ended on Thursday 1 September 2010.

Trends of political violence in Zimbabwe show that those very remote areas are hard hit while those close to the capital have less cases of violence but this is not the case with Headlands which is situated 87km from Harare. The horrendous acts of violence reported in the area during the 2008 political violence are sad and shocking. From all the areas covered by Heal Zimbabwe so far, this is the first time for the organization to attend memorial services for victims of political violence where both parents were killed on the same day in June 2008. The Gumare family was not the only ones who lost both parents the same day, the Musima family who are next door neighbours to the Gumare family also lost both parents on that fateful day.

The memorial services were also graced by four pastors, three were from Zimbabwe National Pastors Conference and one from Christian Alliance. They took turns to console the families and explained to them that they should leave revenge to God the creator. The Pastors also called for unity and a Never Again stance to political violence within the community.

Circumstances surrounding the Death of the Deceased

Mafi Tafundikere Gumare and Acquiline Sanzvenga Gumare

Mr Gumare was murdered on 25 June 2010 after more than 200 youths invaded his homestead around 10pm. His homestead was set on fire destroying all the property. He, together with his wife were tied and dragged 5 metres from the railway station were they were beaten to death by their assailants who Mrs. Gumare identified and told every person who attended to her before she died at a pine plantation a few kilometers way from her homestead. The perpetrators wanted to throw the bodies on the railway crossings as a way of disguising that the victims were hit by a train. Mrs. Gumare passed on after two days and the two were interred on the same day after battles with traditional leaders who were refusing to give the green light for them to be buried in the village.

The memorial service was attended by 85 people, comprising of family, friends, traditional chiefs, villagers and some of the alleged perpetrators. The village head who is also ZANU PF ward chairman whose children are alleged to be part of a group terrorizing villagers, Mr. Chingwidze gave a very painful testimony where he stated that he was very disturbed and torn between his responsibility as a neighbor, traditional leader and the political role expected of him He stated that it was very shameful that they as a community would allow outsiders to come and cause violence in the area and now he has to face the full wrath of the consequences alone while those who incited are dining and wining together in "Harare". He promised the villagers that he will try by all means necessary to prevent the events surrounding the post March 2008 political violence from happening again in his area. The village head who appears confused and psychologically traumatized was visibly ostracized by the community. All the time he struck a lone figure and occasionally engaged in incoherent monologues, a clear evidence of the psycho-spiritual war he fights everyday in a community which has alienated him and his family.

Jessica Musima and Robert Ziyengwa Musima

Mr and Mrs. Musima are neighbours with the Gumare family and were murdered at the same fateful day with the Gumare. They were also beaten to death at the same spot with the Gumare's. The surviving children highlighted that they can identify those who murdered their parents as some of the perpetrators are people who reside close to their homestead whom they see on a daily basis and have been living in the same communities for generations.

Mr and Mrs. Musima had to be buried in Rusape urban, after the village head refused to grant permission for the two to be buried in the area citing that they were "traitors". The village head tearfully asked for forgiveness and took it upon himself to look after the two families left behind.

Their first born son, Misheck Musima explained that what pains him most is that his parents were not active in politics evidenced by his father's age who was born in 1940. He stated that it is the children who were active in politics so when the perpetrators came during the violence period they wanted to kill the children but they had already escaped to Harare after receiving endless threats that is why they targeted the parents as a way of punishing what they called the "unrepentant children"

Taurai Kamuchira

Taurai Kamuchira, born on 7 June 1970 was brutally murdered at a base on 27 June 2008. The memorial service was held in Chiendambuya and attended by close to 185 people. Some villagers failed to turn up for the service after they were threatened by youths in the area that their names will be written down if they attend the memorial service. Taurai's brother gave an emotion filled account of circumstances leading to Taurai's death. He stated that they were caught the six of them on 26 June 2008 and taken to a base in Nyamukamani were they were beaten and Taurai succumbed to the injuries leading to his death on the spot.

The village head, Mr Muradzi and the Headman, Mr Machorokoto took turns to castigate violence in the village and the Headman went on to state that those who killed Taurai were well known in the area and that he demanded that they pay a fine of a cow to him as the village head for the cold bloodied murder. He further stated that those responsible for the deceased death were taken by police from Rusape soon after the death but were later released without charge. The traditional leaders went further to reiterate the message convened by Heal Zimbabwe that villagers should not be used by outsiders as these people will leave soon after achieving their results and they remain in the same community suffering with guilt of murder.

Farai Gambe

Farai Gambe was a political activist in Rusape's Vhengere high density suburb. He met his fate after being shot by three men who came and abducted him at his house. Farai was shot on 14 June 2008 at around 9pm and left on the road and his body was only ferried the following day at around 2pm. People including his family members were afraid to touch him and his body was only ferried after the interventions of the police who were at first reluctant.

His brother explained that Farai was sleeping around 9 in the evening when the perpetrators came and broke the door of the room where Farai was sleeping. They force marched him to their car and that is when Farai tried to escape but two bullets struck him in the back and died on the spot. He was 30 years old and is survived by a wife and 5 year old girl child named Tatenda.

The memorial services held to date have not only exposed the brutality of the period but confirms our collective responsibility to act towards a peaceful Zimbabwe. We cannot afford to be indifferent because in the words of Elie Wiesel, 12 April 1999,

"indifference ..is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -never his victim whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugee- not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity, we betray our own."

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