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The liberation struggle for Zimbabwe culminated in the attainment of independence from the autocratic rule of minority white settlers on 18 April 1980. Peace prevailed only for a short period after independence, followed by a harrowing genocide which affected the Matabeleland and Midlands regions. Much attention has been given to the role of the Fifth Brigade during this genocide. Thus, an emphasis on the actions of the Fifth Brigade soldiers leads us to negate all violence that took place during the period. Therefore, this article seeks to explore the role of the police as partners in crime with the Fifth Brigade during the Gukurahundi genocide. Further, the article raises questions of state opacity and how this was used by the police to eliminate the so-called enemies of the independent state. It draws from interviews conducted with the people of Bulilimamangwe, ex-Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army cadres and ex-policemen who served during the period and other documentary evidence to engage with the role of the police during the genocide.

The Kalanga are one of the ethnic groups found mostly in the Bulilima and Mangwe districts, in the southwestern parts of Zimbabwe. Although the origins of the Kalanga date back to a thousand years, it is important to note that Kalanga ethnic identity is a socially constructed phenomenon, which continues to be negotiated. Therefore, it is vital to note that dynamism, flexibility, and malleable are some of the attributes of this identity. As such, Kalanga history and identity, which has been a product of various processes, such as precolonial political and social organization, colonial rule and the postcolonial Zimbabwean state, will be sought after. Central to these processes are actors such as Kalanga chiefs, missionaries, colonial administrators, Kalanga elites, women, and the ordinary people, who played a significant role in shaping and articulating Kalanga identity at different historical epochs. Moreover, markers of Kalanga identity such as language, Ngwali/Mwali religion, chieftaincy, and histories of origin have been used to (re)construct Kalanga identity. Nonetheless, the heterogeneity of Kalanga people and the complexity involved in the intricate processes of identity formation will be acknowledged. In postcolonial Zimbabwe there has been rising interest from Kalanga elites who have lobbied the government to recognize the Kalanga. This activism is inspired by perceived marginalization of the Kalanga and other minority groups, which has been enforced through monolithic linguistic policies, orchestrated through government favoritism toward the so-called majority languages, such as Shona and IsiNdebele. However, the interaction and cordial relations among the Kalanga and other ethnic groups found in Zimbabwe will also be acknowledged. Nonetheless, there is no exhaustive account of this group as scholars continue to engage with them, hence contributing to always expand the different interpretations on these people. It is therefore hoped that the history of this particular group will be chronicled and perhaps directions for future research on the Kalanga pointed out. In order to fully explore this historical account, various sources that have been used in the study of Kalanga history will be critically engaged.

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