Article Dans Une Revue Dynamics of asymmetric conflict Année : 2026

Missing Gukurahundi archives: fragmented, denied and delayed remembrances

Résumé

The nexus between memory and archives is widely accepted. However, this is not yet true for the victims of mass killings known as Gukurahundi, which claimed over 20,000 lives in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces of Zimbabwe, given that, to date, no archives have been gathered towards the remembrance of Gukurahundi. Such dearth of Gukurahundi archives translates to denied remembrances of the darkest past in a post-independent Zimbabwe. Over 37 years post-Gukurahundi, no one knows the true nature, extent and whereabouts of Gukurahundi archives. The paper argues that the current absence of Gukurahundi archives as a voice that translates to latent power for the victims and survivors, instead of oblivion. Gukurahundi archives promote remembrance, historical–political conscience, restitution, scholarship, national healing and peacebuilding. The paper connects archives to collective memory, demonstrating how the prolonged absence of an organized and accessible Gukurahundi archive has created a memory lacune. It proposes community archiving for the memorialization of Gukurahundi, cultivating consciousness about the preservation of such materials for the benefit of the victims, the affected and the country at large, at the same time recognizing alternative forms of memorialization and archiving such as digital social spaces, artistic plays and artefacts.

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Dates et versions

hal-05596279 , version 1 (19-04-2026)

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Citer

Mehluli Masuku. Missing Gukurahundi archives: fragmented, denied and delayed remembrances. Dynamics of asymmetric conflict, 2026, pp.1-21. ⟨10.1080/17467586.2026.2636738⟩. ⟨hal-05596279⟩

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