Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zimbabwe

Mugabe acknowledges Matabeleland killings

    JOHANNESBURG

    Civil rights groups have demanded compensation for the civilian victims of the government's violent anti-dissident campaign in Matabeleland during the mid-1980s, news reports said on Wednesday. The demands follow President Robert Mugabe's expression of regret on Monday at the funeral of vice president Joshua Nkomo over the killings that occurred when the army
    was deployed to suppress the Matabeleland unrest.

    It is the first time that Mugabe has conceded there were excesses. But human rights lawyer David Coltart told the 'Daily News' that the only valid signal of change would be when "government takes meaningful steps to compensate the affected communities."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join