MatabelelandReport

1987
JAN 29:Dissident killed in Bezha area of Matobo.
FEB 19:A bandit forces 7 others to burn a beerhall at Bidi in Matobo.
MAR 30:Dissidents destroy a commercial farm homestead in Matobo, valued at $49 000.
JULY 7:A militia man is shot dead by dissidents on a commercial farm near Figtree.
AUG 18:A commercial farming couple is shot dead and their car burnt by dissidents in the Figtree farming area.
NOV :16 missionaries in two adjacent farm houses in north eastern Matobo are murdered by dissidents. The dead
include women and children.
DEC 23:UNITY.
1988
MAR 28:"Gunmen"kill 34 animals on a commercial farm, and burn a house in Matobo.
This is the last recorded act of terror in western Zimbabwe.
2.CCJP ARCHIVAL DATA, AND INTERVIEWS IN 1995/6
i.ARCHIVES
The CCJP archives for events in 1984 are far better organised than those for 1983: the first arrival of 5 Brigade in
Matabeleland North had caught everyone by surprise, but in 1984, mission staff in Matabeleland South were prepared
for what might ensue. Mission personnel kept in regular touch with personnel in Bualwayo, who made typed records of
phone conversations, which were on occasion conducted in German to foil whoever might be listening in. There are also
detailed minutes of meetings between personnel in Bulawayo with outlying mission staff during the curfew. In addition,
the CCJP was preparing to present evidence to the Committee of Inquiry by early 1984, and systematic, formal typed
statements were taken from witnesses from Matabeleland South, and several were sworn and signed in front of a
Commissioner of Oaths.
ii.INTERVIEWS
The Matobo Case Study is an extended pilot study rather than a comprehensive report on Matobo District. The process
of interviewing was far less complete than in Tsholotsho, largely as a result of time and funding constraints, but also
owing to other factors. While the Tsholotsho interviewing began in earnest in mid 1995 and was completed by a backup
session in mid 1996, in Matobo the procedure was condensed into approximately 10 weeks, from July 1996 to mid-
September 1996.
July was spent trying to establish contact with the local councillors, who were not previously known to project
personnel, and to gain their co-operation in publicising the project among their ward residents. The Tsholotsho
councillors had been well known to project personnel and had proved very co-operative, but this was not the case in
Matobo. In spite of support for the project from the Provincial Governor and from certain Chiefs in the region, certain
ward councillors remained wary of getting involved in the project. They were hesitant to encourage the people in their
wards to give evidence. In some cases, councillors actively undermined the project, by ordering those in their wards not
to attend pre-arranged interview sessions. Other councillors expressed fear of what the ZANU-PF Central Committee
might say if it were known they had supported the data collection process.
In addition, the CIO attended certain interview sessions, remaining visible but at a distance of about 30 metres, while
interviewing took place. In one instance, they returned a few days after interviewing in a region, and questioned a man
who had been involved. It was the belief of project personnel that the CIO became involved at the instigation of certain
councillors. Their behaviour was intimidatory, and indicative of the desire of some government officials to prevent the
facts of those years from being discussed or acknowledged. The behaviour of CIO in Matobo was partially successful in
preventing people from coming forward to testify: project personnel had approached priests at all missions in
Matabeleland South to help in data collection, but after news of the CIO interest spread, many decided they would
rather not get involved with the project.
If there is truly nothing to hide about events in the 1980s, then government resistance to establishing the facts makes no
sense.
In spite of the difficulties experienced, a total of 9 interview sessions were conducted, at 6 different venues. All these
sessions were conducted in the southern parts of Matobo. No interviews were conducted in areas north of Kezi, such as
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