MDC says houses burnt down in Zimunya and Buhera

On Tuesday Robert Mugabe called for peace and for an end to violence. He was at a church service for the late Susan Tsvangirai. But it appears his ‘plea’ has fallen on deaf ears, as far as his own followers are concerned.

While the ZANU PF leadership and most ministers in the inclusive government joined the Tsvangirai family to mourn the Prime Minister’s wife, the MDC in Manicaland Province accuse ZANU PF supporters of once again terrorising MDC supporters in Zimunya and Buhera.

Pishai Muchauraya, MDC MP for Makoni South, said a house belonging to Robert Jack Saunyama, the party’s provincial security officer, was burnt to the ground on Tuesday night. The MDC also claims that 10 houses were burnt down in Ward 5 in Buhera West. Muchauraya said although there was extensive damage to the properties, no one was injured. He said the people whose homes were attacked in Buhera had gone to mourn Amai Tsvangirai at the Prime Minister’s homestead, also in Buhera.

The MDC said reports were made to the police and investigations are underway. We were not able to get a comment from Zimunya and Buhera police.

It is always difficult to know if Mugabe is sincere when he uses words of peace. Frequently in the past he has called for peace through the microphone, while at the same time ordering violent reprisals against political opponents.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said that the car crash that killed his wife was an accident, and that foul play is one in a thousand, and there has been an unprecedented outpouring of messages of support from the ZANU PF leadership. Mugabe said the tragic accident was the hand of God. ‘We are sincerely saddened by the death of Susan and we hope that Morgan will remain strong.”

This resulted in Tsvangirai’s eldest son Edwin thanking Mugabe for “the kind words that changed my understanding of him." He also urged his father to look ahead to the work of rebuilding Zimbabwe.

On the same day the MDC issued a condolence message at the death of a ZANU PF stalwart, speaking in very glowing terms about retired Army-General Zvinavashe. This was a man who used the war in the DRC to enrich himself and who publicly declared he would not salute Tsvangirai.

There are very mixed reactions about what all this unusual rhetoric means and if it is sincere.

Some say the untimely death of the Prime Minister’s wife may be the catalyst that will bring the divided country together. They believe that through her death, and that of General Zvinavashe, ZANU PF and the MDC may work together differently.

But there are others who are extremely sceptical and say the sequence of events is very strange and seem too well orchestrated. The sceptics say it is delusional to think that ZANU PF has suddenly changed, after years of violence, torture, beatings and deliberately inflicted starvation.

While Zimbabweans ponder the unfolding events the rest of the world is cautiously watching and some are more inclined towards justice, rather than forgiveness.

Justice Richard Goldstone, a distinguished South African judge and former international war crimes prosecutor, has told Australia’s ABC radio that last week's decision by the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant against Sudan's President Al Bashir, sets a precedent for action against Mugabe. He said the Zimbabwean leader’s ‘conduct over many years warranted the attention of the International Court's prosecutor’ and that he would like to see the members of the Security Council make a reference to the ICC for Mr Mugabe to be charged with crimes against humanity.

The question that remains is - what do Zimbabweans want? Do they want to try and forget the past atrocities and just hope they never recur? Can a nation really move forward, without some form of justice and accountability?