Twitter Deliberations on Justice in the Aftermath of the Deaths of Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities in Zimbabwe

Dead bodies are sites of contestation as they can be appropriated and mobilised for memory struggles, identity politics, and human rights agendas. The deaths of perpetrators of mass violence usually stimulate discussions and debates, especially when they die without being prosecuted for their crimes. The deaths of Robert Mugabe and Perrance Shiri, implicated in the Gukurahundi atrocities that were orchestrated in the south-western parts of Zimbabwe between 1983 and 1987, received mixed responses. The chapter uses Papacharissi’s work on “affective publics” and Garibian’s theorisation of the death of a perpetrator as frameworks for analysing cyber-engagements on the deaths of Mugabe and Shiri. Findings from the analysis of Twitter engagements demonstrate that some interlocutors view the deaths of perpetrators as a “way out” or a permanent impunity while others celebrate death as an equaliser.