Recently the ZANU-PF MP for Mpopoma-Pelandaba Joseph Tshuma openly condemned Matabeleland political leaders for typically being spineless and failing to speak out on important issues affecting the Matabeleland region. Joseph Tshuma pointed that the leadership silence actually played apart on the economic failure of the Matabeleland cregion He added that, “We have leaders in Matabeleland who cannot articulate the challenges faced by their people.
Matabeleland is marginalised largely because as leaders in the region we are actually failing to highlight problems in the region. How do you expect President Mugabe who is the appointing authority to know all the challenges facing us if they are not brought to his attention?” he asked. It is incumbent upon us as leaders to make noise about these challenges because as leaders we should thrive to alleviate poverty,” he said. “We as MPs interact with ministers in Parliament and we need to approach them and tell them about our programmes and challenges,’ he said.
This to the ‘DISCERNING EYE, newzimbabwevision, is a portent message to progressive minded people. It is a fact that the tribalist, President Mugabe has managed to continuosly maginalise the Matebeleland region for obvious reasons, going as far back as when he used his racist North Korean trained, tribalist Fifth Brigade army which butchered 20,000 unarmed Ndebele people of Matebeleland and Midlands in the early 80’s soon after independance from white colonial rule.
Take a good look at prominent figure from Matebeleland, leaders pictured below and its obvious to any fool, that prominent leaders from Matebeleland, are generally the key oppressors of their own people and Mugabe’s main access to successfully marginalising the suffering Matebeleland people.
The late Enos Nkala along with ZANU leaders such as Leopold Takawira, Edgar Tekere, Ndabaningi Sithole, Robert Mugabe, and Morris Nyagumbo formed the Zanu Party at Nkala’s Highfield house in 1964. Nkala was Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs and Defence during the Gukurahundi massacres of 20,000 Ndebele people across Matebeleland and Midlands.
He obviously denied participating but to the people of Matebeleland he was a sellout of his own people, even addressing a rally to say he was ashamed of being Ndebele and if there was some soap to wash off his ‘Ndebele’ ness he would use it,…interesting!
The current Higher education and Tertiary minister Professor Jonathan Moyo is another high profile sell out of not only the Matebeleland region but the whole Zimbabwe nation. Its understood that that he is originally Zanu PF and went off to the liberation war for training by Zanu PF but then fled off to America for his studies, hence he is sometimes refereed to as a war desserter.
Jonathan Moyo is the chief architect of the draconian AIPPA and POSA, which collapsed independant media, and closed off access to rural areas for activists and opponents.
It is through Jonathan Moyo, that Mugabe and Zanu PF who were at a point of giving up to democratic opposition due to a collapsed economy and suffering amongst the people , made a complete ‘U’ turn around after Jonathan Moyo, crafted the notorius NIKUV manifesto for 31st July 2013 general election, which breathed life back into Mugabe and his Zanu PF and prolonged the people’s suffering.
Obert Mpofu, again a Zanu PF figure from the time of the liberation war, was the Minister of Mines and Mining Development at the height of the diamond rush, when Zimbabwe, discovered diamonds in Chiadzwa. He is viewed as a filthy rich multimillionaire Zanu PF stalwart as he owns private jets, farms, businesses and typically the greater part of Bulawayo and Matebeleland North province, even including a bank at one time.
The vice president Phelekezela Mpoko, is also known to be a Zanu PF stalwart, who was previously a key member of the notoriously brutal, Central intelligence Organisation (CIO), hence currently a happy long term Rainbow Towers Hotel resident in Harare, all expenses paid by the taxpayer.
I could go on about the self enrichment mentality behind key figures from Matebeleland who readily sell out, not only their region but the whole Zimbabwean Nation, through their apologist support for the 93 year old despot Robert Mugabe but the matebeleland sellout leaders, I have listed have played a prominent role in destroying not only Matebeleland but the whole nation, which will take generations to forget,.
With respect to weak Matebeleland leadership, we see the suffering of Matobo people, with absolutely no interest or involvement by Matebeleland leaders to address the crisis. Matobo people are now victims of the culture of monopolising wealth and resources, that is led by Mugabe, Zim1 family, Zanu PF stalwarts and securocrats who continuously loot national reources and amass ridiculous sums of stolen wealth for themselves.
Telcor since 1975 up to soon after Zimbabwe’s independance when it changed its name to Arda was in amicable settlement in the community. Now Arda, partnering with Trek Petroleum, have embarked on a joint farming project demolishing homesteads, farming and grazing land and forcibly removing hundreds of Matobo villagers from their motherland, where some have lived as long as 70 years or more. The villagers are losing their livelihoods through demolished homesteads, destroyed farming and grazing land by Arda and trek petroleum.
Arda and Trek Petroleum are treating Matobo villagers as if they have no legal right to their own motherland by demolishing their livelihoods The Matobo villagers, feel strongly aggrieved as this to them is the mother of all infringement of rights,..more precisely, their birth right!
The Matobo villagers, are yet again a typical example of Matebeleland people, who have fallen victim to the weak, selfish culture of predatory leadership that we have seen amongst a self enriching Matebeleland leadership style, that came after a real Matebeleland leader from Matebeleland, the late Dr Joshua Nkomo, the leader of Zimbabwe, African, People’s Union (ZAPU) party.
Joshua Nkomo, a.k.a Father Zimbabwe had the nation at heart and like during the armed struggle for independance, he continued to stand for all Zimbabweans, all colours, tribes and race. He was a major victim of Mugabe’s murderous gukurahundi campaign, even fleeing Zimbabwe, disguised as a woman and fleeing to UK for his own safety.
In December 1987 the Zapu leader, signed the UNITY ACCORD, which was a peace settlement, that stopped Mugabe from murdering Matebeleland people any further and was made Zimbabwe’s Vice President.
Joshua Nkomo, although, he did not agree with Mugabe’s oppressive culture, gave in to the conditions of the settlement in order to ensure the safety of his Matebeleland kith and kin, who would have been butchered by Mugabe.
The former Home Affairs minister, now Zapu leader, Dumiso dabengwa, ak.a. ‘Black Russian’, is a man who can bear witness to Mugabe’s vindictive culture. Dumiso Dabengwa was locked up with the late Zapu General Lookout Masuku were locked up without trial by Mugabe during Gukurahundi.
The Zapu General Lookout Masuku had fought bravely for all Zimbabweans and had been instrumental in uniting Zipra forces with Zanla forces against the oppressive white Rhodesian Ian Smith and securing the 1979 London, Lancaster settlement which ended the brutal liberation war and paved the way for Mugabe’s rules, thirty six years so far in Zimbabwe from 4 April 1980 to date.
Gen Lookout Masuku, was released from prison by Mugabe on his death bed but died shortly afterwards but was buried like a pauper, denied a heroes burial by the brutal Mugabe, having fought valiantly for the liberation of all Zimbabweans.
Focusing on Matebeleland interests, to the ‘Discerning eye, newzimbabwevision, is about focusing on real bread and butter issues affecting the people of the region, black, white, Coloured, Shona, Ndebele, any tribe, religion and political orientation.
It is about bringing development for all to the region, ensuring equal opportunities for all and access to issues such as health care, education, housing, and employment amongst others. Compare that crop of Matebeleland leadership to the likes of the current predatory leaders such as Jonathan Moyo, Phelekezela Mpoko, Obert Mpofu and the late Enos Nkala.
Genuine leadership with the people at heart would develop Matebeleland region for all people white, coloured, black, all tribes, religions and political orientation instead of chasing wealth, and power by proping up Mugabe, Zanu PF stalwarts, Zim 1 family, and securocrats who monopolise wealth and power.
Matebeleland cannot lay claim to Mugabe under developing the region through margilisation of the region without admitting that, its the leadership they elect which turns on the region and indirectly fuels tribalism, hatred and marginilisation of the region as the elected leaders amass wealth by protecting , promoting and propping up the corrupt Zanu PF regime, who monopolise wealth and power by continuously looting national wealth.
Such leaders, including the surviving Zapu leader, Dumiso Dabengwa, were all true heroes with the interests of the Matebeleland region and the whole of Zimbabwe at heart, and they paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives,..need I say more?….DISCUSS!. By Sibusiso Ngwenya
