The memory of violence and the violence of memory: a case study of Gukurahundi in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This Masters Report is based on a qualitative study conducted in Johannesburg to explore the ways in which the memory of gukurahundi has been made and remade in repressive conditions. This moment in Zimbabwe’s past was previously silenced by the government, therefore its existence in other generations that were not directly affected is the focus of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants. Their narratives were then analyzed through narrative methods. This revealed that engaging in the memory of gukurahundi is used as a tool to undermine the legitimacy of the government. The past is used to interpret experiences of oppression in the present. The reproduction of this mode of resistance gives access to multiple generations to learn about what happened during gukurahundi. This knowledge is then used as a reference to explain ways in which people in Matebeleland feel oppressed in the present.