Mugabe funeral: Let us not dwell in the past, says Chamisa

MDC president Nelson Chamisa has urged Zimbabweans to learn from Mugabe’s mistakes for the betterment of the country. 

Addressing the press Tuesday afternoon Chamisa said his party does not have to be hard on the late Mugabe but learn from his mistakes instead.

“Mugabe is gone but Zimbabwe is not gone, we have Zimbabwe and we are Zimbabweans, there is need to be able to build our country together, go to the past and say how do we  correct the injustices of the past.” Chamisa said.

Responding to questions of MDC’s position on the role played by Mugabe during the Gukurahundi massacres, Chamisa said there was need for truth telling to pave way for reconciliation.

“ We can’t just gloss over issues. We need to have a fresh discourse of truth and justice for proper reconciliation. This requires all of us working together so we can put on the truth on the table and say, how do we heal our past wounds and ensure that future wounds are not going to be impaired on account of omissions  or commissions by any of the leaders.”

The youthful leader further said Mugabe’s contributions to the history of Zimbabwe are important regardless of how negative they can be for the betterment of the country. 

“Mr Mugabe is a teacher both in life and in death and we must be able to learn on how to build, prosper and progress as a nation. This is our opportunity to close old pages and open new ones on transformation.” 

Chamisa said the MDC leadership and supporters should not stick to past differences or revenge regardless of the pain inflicted during Mugabe’s reign.

“Revenge and anger can not be pillars of building a society, we want to be better but we can not continue to be bitter.”

“We had opportunity to engage when he was still alive and we differed with him, we fought with him  and will continue to fight, all of us around the table have a story to tell but bitterness can not move the nation forward.”

“Yes we want justice in the circumstances of those who died but unfortunately there is nothing we can do to change the situation other than to learn from our mistakes so that we can not have recurrence of those mistakes.”

He denied speculations that the party was neglecting victims of Mugabe’s atrocities.

“We are in solidarity with those who died and suffered at the hands of Mugabe but we can not continue to drink from the cup of bitterness.”