From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ZIMBABWE: GOVERNMENT ''LIES'' TO AV
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 00:55:25 GMT

Title: ZIMBABWE: GOVERNMENT ''LIES'' TO AVOID COMPENSATING ARMY VICTIMS


an inter press service feature

by godfrey karoro

harare, sep 1 (ips) -- enoth sibongo sigadula died feb. 13,
1983, and became one of the first victims of zimbabwe's
notorious fifth brigade.

his death certificate issued by the tsholotsho district
administrator's office, in matebeleland, western zimbabwe, shows
the cause of his death as ''stomach pains -- natural causes'',
and the duration of illness as ''one month''.

however, according to the son, sigadula was among seven
persons, including a school teacher, who were shot dead by the
notorious brigade during the 1983-86 political crisis in
matebeleland, western zimbabwe.

''the fifth brigade had a base at phumula mission near our
village. a group of 11 soldiers told villagers one sunday
afternoon that they had come to wipe out all villagers because
they supported dissidents'', malusi sigadula told ips here
monday.

''in order to acquire the death certificate, we were informed
that the true cause of death could not be entered and advised
not to divulge it to anybody'',' says the 25-year-old son.

sigadula, who was 56 at the time of his death and earned a
living as a blacksmith, was buried together with the other
victims in one grave.

''i can identify my father's skeleton as he had false
teeth'', says malusi. the family knows where the victims
were buried, he adds.

the zimbabwe human rights association (zimrights) has been
flooded with enquiries about how to correct the wrong death
certificates issued by the district administrators.

the north korean trained brigade, formed in 1981, a year
after zimbabwe's independence, was deployed in matebeleland to
crush dissidence by former freedom fighters of the zimbabwe
african people's union (zapu).

this followed the discovery of arms caches on zapu property
throughout the country, the sacking of zapu members from the
government of national unity and the killing of six tourists on
the bulawayo-victoria falls road in 1982. (more/ips)


zimbabwe: government (2)

the dissidents were zapu ex-combatants demobilised from the
zimbabwe national army and army defectors following the souring
of relations between the ruling zimbabwe african national union
and the opposition zapu party.

in early 1983, a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in
matabeleland when, according to zimrights secretary-general
nicholas ndebele, ''the fifth brigade indiscriminately killed
between 15,000 and 20,000 people''.

''many people now want to have death certificates in order to
acquire birth certificates for victims' children or for other
legal requirements'', ndebele told ips tuesday.

''but to get a birth certificate, district administrators
want to know where the father is. if the father is deceased,
they require either a letter from hospital certifying death or
from police stating the cause of death.

''the police are harassing people and asking them to prove
the victims were killed by the fifth brigade'', adds ndebele.

in addition to acquiring birth certificates for children,
most applicants for death certificates (mainly widows) wish to
claim terminal benefits from companies or seek loans to run
shops or buy farm implements.

''because of pressure from human rights organisations, the
government has decided to give death certificates but with cause
of death listed as 'natural causes','' says ndebele.

''why is the government not telling the people the truth?''
asks the zimrights secretary-general. ''people need to know the
real cause of death''.

ndebele says the government is concerned that if death
certificates indicate the army was involved in the deaths, it
will be flooded with compensation claims from thousands of
survivors which would translate into large sums of money.

malusi, for instance, says although no amount of money can
compensate for his father's death, the family should get
something.

''we do not have a figure, but we would claim not less than
500,000 (zimbabwe) dollars (about 100,000 u.s. dollars)'', he
says. (end/ips/hr/gk/apc/oa/92)


-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african