This chapter examines the role of social media platforms in mediating the traumatic experiences of Gukurahundi survivors in Zimbabwe. Gukurahundi denotes a state-orchestrated genocide that occurred in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces between 1983 and 1987. It is estimated that over 20,000 Ndebele-speaking civilians were killed by a military unit deployed by the Zimbabwean government to these provinces. Although the killings of civilians ended in 1987 with the signing of the Unity Accord, Gukurahundi left indelible marks on the consciousness of the affected communities. Memories of Gukurahundi have remained heavily repressed by the state that perpetrated these atrocities. However, memory activism has been on the rise as Matabeleland pressure groups are demanding justice, exhumations and memorialisation of Gukurahundi victims. Social media platforms have become integral spaces for the expression of dissenting memories. This study utilises the concepts of postmemory (Hirsch, 2012) and the voice (Mitra, 2005) to make sense of the Gukurahundi transgenerational trauma. We analysed selected Gukurahundi documentary films that were produced by CITE, a media organisation, and shared on YouTube and Facebook. Our focus is on films that show the traumatic experiences of women. In our study on the intersection of memory, trauma and social media, we argue that social media constitute a double-edged sword. First, social networks facilitate the transgenerational transmission of Gukurahundi trauma. In other words, digital platforms ensure that Gukurahundi trauma is inherited by the postgeneration. Second, we demonstrate that the same social media tools enable Gukurahundi victims to articulate a ‘voice’ as they seek to come to terms with a traumatic past, restore the social order and heal communities.

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Gukurahundi Memory, Trauma and Social Media: Exploring Zimbabwean Women’s Experiences of Genocidal Gendered Violence Mediated in Online Documentaries

  • Mphathisi Ndlovu,
  • Nonhlanhla Ndlovu,
  • Nkosini Aubrey Khupe

摘要

This chapter examines the role of social media platforms in mediating the traumatic experiences of Gukurahundi survivors in Zimbabwe. Gukurahundi denotes a state-orchestrated genocide that occurred in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces between 1983 and 1987. It is estimated that over 20,000 Ndebele-speaking civilians were killed by a military unit deployed by the Zimbabwean government to these provinces. Although the killings of civilians ended in 1987 with the signing of the Unity Accord, Gukurahundi left indelible marks on the consciousness of the affected communities. Memories of Gukurahundi have remained heavily repressed by the state that perpetrated these atrocities. However, memory activism has been on the rise as Matabeleland pressure groups are demanding justice, exhumations and memorialisation of Gukurahundi victims. Social media platforms have become integral spaces for the expression of dissenting memories. This study utilises the concepts of postmemory (Hirsch, 2012) and the voice (Mitra, 2005) to make sense of the Gukurahundi transgenerational trauma. We analysed selected Gukurahundi documentary films that were produced by CITE, a media organisation, and shared on YouTube and Facebook. Our focus is on films that show the traumatic experiences of women. In our study on the intersection of memory, trauma and social media, we argue that social media constitute a double-edged sword. First, social networks facilitate the transgenerational transmission of Gukurahundi trauma. In other words, digital platforms ensure that Gukurahundi trauma is inherited by the postgeneration. Second, we demonstrate that the same social media tools enable Gukurahundi victims to articulate a ‘voice’ as they seek to come to terms with a traumatic past, restore the social order and heal communities.