Gukurahundi In Zimbabwe: A Report On The Disturbances In Matebeleland And The Midlands, 1980 - 1988

It is ten years since the original publication of Breaking the Silence: A Report on the Disturbances in Matebeleland and the Midlands . In conjunction with the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and the Legal Resources Foundation in Harare, the Report is offered again at a time when the events it describes--the Gukurahundi--have acquired a fresh relevance. This edition has an introduction by Elinor Sisulu, who reflects on her own and others' silence at the time of the killings, as they celebrated a newly independent Zimbabwe; and a foreword by Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, well known for his outspokenness and for his stand against the ongoing human rights violations by the government in Zimbabwe. It is hoped that this edition will find a new and wide readership, and that the re-availability of the Report will mean that more people will campaign for an end to human rights violations in Zimbabwe, and for restorative justice for the victims. The name Robert Mugabe has become synonymous with failed leadership in Africa. One of the first atrocities of his shocking reign took place in the 1980s and became known as the "Gukurahundi"-a series of politically motivated killings. Thousands of civilians were murdered in Matabeleland, a region in the southeast of the country. In March of 1997, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and the Legal Resources Foundation first commissioned Gukurahandi in Zimbabwe, a book that brought the tragedy in Matabeleland to light. Now in its second edition, Gukurahandi in Zimbabwe is more relevant than ever as Mugabe's erratic and autocratic rule pushes Zimbabwe, once the prosperous hope of Africa, into decline. This new edition includes an introduction by Elinor Sisulu and a foreword by Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo. Sisulu is an acclaimed writer, academic, and journalist who reflects on her own and others' failure to speak out at the time of the killings, which coincided with the celebration of a newly independent Zimbabwe. Well known for being an outspoken critic, Archbishop Ncube expresses his strong opposition to the ongoing human rights violations committed by the government of Zimbabwe. This book is a clarion call for the world to wake up to the crisis in Zimbabwe and campaign for justice and an end to the egregious acts of cruelty against its citizens. "The name Robert Mugabe has become synonymous with failed leadership in Africa. One of the first atrocities of his shocking reign became known as the 'Gukurahundi' - a series of politically motivated killings in the 1980s. Thousands of civilians were killed in Matabeleland in the south-east of the country, and international criticism was muted at best." "The publication of this book is a clarion call for the world to wake up to the crisis in Zimbabwe and to campaign for an end to the egregious human rights violations there and for restorative justice for the victims."--Jacket