When the Gukurahundi was finally put to an end with the signing of the Peace Accord between Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo of ZAPU in 1987, an enquiry was ordered into the first disturbances in Entumbane before the main Fifth Brigade thrust, but the findings have never been published. From “Breaking the Silence”: “The Government instituted a Commission of Inquiry into events surrounding Entumbane, conducted by Justice Enock Dumbutshena. However, Mr Mugabe complained about its findings, and the Dumbutshena Report was never made public.”

As with anything the happens in public life, the facts have a habit of speaking for themselves, so politicians like Mugabe believe that the easiest way to explain away the facts is to not publish them and then deny any wrongdoing.

Entumbane occurred a lifetime ago - but there still are people waiting for answers.

Mugabe explains the Gukurahundi away as a “moment of madness”.

Fast forward to the current crisis - which is really the same crisis, but many years later - and Mugabe’s minions fall over themselves to announce to the world that they have done nothing wrong - and Mugabe defies regional organisation orders, beats up on the MDC to muscle his way back into power, and now has begun to deny his multitude of transgressions.

The biggest query on the table at this time concerns the Chiadzwa diamond fields. There have been allegations that the Mugabe administration has been systematically stripping the fields of the precious stone, and yet the country is no richer for the effort - the obvious conclusion is that the diamond return is not going into State coffers.

Another allegation is that illegal miners have been slaughtered by the army and air force in the field.

There is an allegation that the air force shot dead a number of miners using an air force helicopter “K-car” (killing car). Mugabe-ites deny the allegation.

And that is all that will come of that - because the people making the allegation do not have the means to go in and probe the alleged killings.

Similarly, Mugabe has blocked the audit of the financial actions of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe as he is all too aware that the audit would uncover all manner of dealings that are not only questionable, but are probably comparable to the deception carried out by Madoff - who was sentenced, only a few days ago to 150 years in prison.

There are so many more transgressions that the Mugabe administration should be held answerable for: the killings of commercial farmers in the ‘land grab’ which continues today, the killings of MDC members and activists in the political violence of last year, the abduction and torture of MDC members and activists of trumped up charges, among them the Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, who faces charges of treason, the deputy minister of agriculture, Roy Bennett, who faces charges of banditry - Mugabe refuses to have him sworn into cabinet until the court has concluded with his case which was this week remanded to October.

Commercial farmer Martin Olds lies dead while officials discuss the event

So cabinet remains incomplete - which suits Mugabe down to the ground.

Mugabe finds himself in the insulated position where he can make the most audacious accusations - sanctions, regime change, re-colonising, to list a few - whilst any accusations made against him and his party (and all the military wings there under) are either ignored with no explanation, or denied vociferously, with no proof offered to counter those allegations.

I have no doubt that there has been killings in the Chiadzwa diamond fields and that much of the diamonds mined therein have been pilfered to bolster senior ZANU PF private bank accounts. But until and unless Mugabe and ZANU PF allow a full scale probe into the allegations, nothing remains proven and the allegations remain just that - allegations.

Denying any wrongdoing, be it theft, abduction or murder are run-of-the-mill for ZANU PF. Head one allegation off and it becomes easier to do it again and again with repetition and time.

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man