President Mnangagwa today launched the Zimbabwe National Elders’ Forum in Harare, a platform made up of eminent people seeking to get justice from Britain by demanding reparation and apology for colonising the country.
Addressing the gathering, President Mnangagwa said in retrospect it was proper that Britain as the former coloniser, pay reparations to Zimbabwe and then Zimbabwe would use part of the money to compensate the white farmers for improvements they made on land.
The Zimbabwe National Elders Forum is led by Dr Apostle Felix Mukonowengwe and is housed in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works
“In retrospect, it is colonial power that should be have compensated Zimbabwe first,” said the President.
Forum Leadership
The Zimbabwe National Elders Forum is led by Dr Apostle Felix Mukonowengwe and is housed in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The President said it was pleasing that the forum intended to comprehensively document the untold story, or the injustices, the trauma and loss of lives and livelihoods experienced by our indigenous black people due to colonialism.
“The proposed study as I am gladly informed, will put forward recommendations that will explore options to assist in the long-term healing of affected communities as well as for rekindling and recreating goodwill,”
Some countries have successfully sued their former colonizers and received compensations.
Britain has apologized to the Mau Mau in Kenya while Germany has apologized to Namibia.
“It is no secret that colonial violence was brutal and systematic. Those of us old enough to tell the tale still bear scars and associated trauma from the violence,” said the President
Speaking at the same forum, Minster of Local Government and Public Works Hon D Garwe said Vision 2030 was not only speaking to infrastructure development and agriculture but to correcting the past.
He said he was inspired by the commitment of the forum to tell the Zimbabwe story.
“The National Elders Forum has made significant sacrifices both financially and otherwise through the preparation phase of this project. Such unwavering commitment deserves our recognition and appreciation. It is this context that I stand before you as a team player genuinely believing that this project will evoke sympathy and empathy from the World towards Zimbabwe,” he said.
Hon Garwe said there was need to swiftly implement the programme as delaying might attract detractors who might distort the value of the important initiative.
Estimates show that Zimbabwe would have been a US$500 billion economy had it not been plundered by the colonisers.
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