6 A few weeks later at another rally in Matabeleland North, he told a huge, forcibly assembled crowd that the Army had come to Matabeleland like fire, “and in the process of cleansing the area of the dissident menace had also wiped out their supporters.” He went on to say in a parody of the Scriptures: “Blessed are they who will follow the path of the Government laws, for their days on earth shall be increased. But woe to those who will chose the path of collaboration with dissidents for we will certainly shorten their stay on earth.” (Source: The Chronicle 4 April 1983) Statements by Enos Nkala When he was Home Affairs Minister in the 1980s, he threatened to wipe out the ZAPU leadership, telling the nation: “We want to wipe out the ZAPU leadership. You’ve only seen the warning lights. We haven’t reached full blast . . . the murderous organisation and its murderous leadership must be hit so hard that it doesn’t feel obliged to do the things it has been doing.” Later speaking to ZAPU supporters, he said: “ZANU PF rules this country and anyone who disputes that is a dissident and should be dealt with.” In 1983, he said: “It’s really ZAPU that provides the infrastructure for dissidents and violence. If you liquidate ZAPU, if the word liquidation means bringing to an end something. then it means you have no problem of dissidents.” (Source: Film footage from film entitled A Place for Everybody) Statement by Nathan Shamuyarira Speaking about the brutal Zimbabwe National Army crackdown in Matabeleland and the Midlands in the 1980s is “not regrettable”. “. . . No, I don’t regret. They (the 5 Brigade) were doing a job to protect the people . . .” (Source: Financial Gazette 5 October 2006) Population size In the context of a “complex emergency”, in which food security has been severely compromised and an extremely serious HIV/AIDS epidemic, callous statements of unconcern for the ordinary Their words condemn them: The language of violence, intolerance and despotism in Zimbabwe.