After weeks of being bombarded with grisly pictures of dead bodies, Zipra veterans made a bold decision to challenge the exercise in court and won an interdict to stop heartless individuals from exploiting a human tragedy for political gain.
It was not surprising that the so-called Fallen Heroes Trust did not oppose the court application. The shadowy group, which is linked to Zanu PF, simply does not have any mandate or basis to carry out such an exercise and justifying their activities in court would have been impossible.
Although the exhumations were meant to portray “Rhodesian atrocities” during the war, the political charade was robbed of its credibility when the Gukurahundi massacres were not given equal attention. The manner in which they were conducted also left people not only disgusted but alarmed that Zanu PF, in its desperate bid to remain in power, was now exploiting even the dead for political gain.
The exhumations turned out, like so many other election-related performances, to be a self-inflicted shot in the foot for Zanu PF.
It remains to be seen whether or not the court ruling will be respected and adhered to. There is room for scepticism. We have witnessed the systematic disregard by government officials of court rulings which they deem politically inconvenient.
The court application has clearly shown that the whole country is nursing festering wounds of great proportions.
Ill-conceived, self-serving exhumations by shadowy groups with no expertise whatsoever can only poison further a nation that desperately needs to forget its dark past.
What is needed is a process that goes beyond giving those dumped at Chibondo mine shaft a decent burial; the process must encompass restorative, social and economic justice that will result in perpetrators of past violations being brought to justice and victims compensated as part of a comprehensive healing endeavour.
