Old PF-ZAPU resurrecting with federal agenda
By Daniso Sikhupha
NEW calls of a breakaway state have emerged in Bulawayo following reports that former PF-ZAPU leaders have told president Mugabe that the Unity Accord signed in 1987 is not working and will never work, The Zim Diaspora can reveal.
Speaking in a telephone interview from Bulawayo this week, a senior former PF-ZAPU leader said the assumption that there was unity in Zimbabwe between the two parties that liberated the country was a misleading notion.
The former ZIPRA combatant who cannot be named to protect him from Mr Mugabe’s vampiric behaviour said the issue of deliberate economic deprivation of Matabeleland by Mr Mugabe’s government is being revisited on a serious and objective way by former PF-ZAPU leaders excluding Joseph Msika, John Nkomo and Obert Mpofu who are viewed as sitting on the fence.
“We have heard two secret meetings. Its not about us, but its about our children and grand children. We are saying we have seen what has happened in this country since 1980, now we would like to engage Mr Mugabe through the United Nations,” he said.
There were efforts to bring into the new fold Prof Jonathan Moyo in recognition of his development of Tsholotsho once regarded as a barbaric society which he miraculously turned it into a beacon of development now envied by many districts in the country.
“We are doing this legally and peacefully. All what we need is recognition and autonomy because working with Harare has proved to be a non-starter,” the source said.
Nearly 20 years after signing the Unity Accord, whose main objective was to reconcile and heal the woods of the nation, it has emerged recently that a group of veteran former PF-ZAPU leaders were seriously considering putting on table a package of self-governance in Matabeleland. Their argument is based on lack of development in the region including the impact of Gukurahundi massacres that left up to 20 000 Ndebele speaking people dead and 10 000 missing, now presumed dead.
The Matabeleland massacre was an ethnic cleansing campaign financed, organised and directed from Harare. Article 3 of the Geneva Convention states that “civilians (people taking no active role in the hostilities) shall always be treated humanely. The Article prohibits “humiliating, degrading treatment and violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture.
What has amplified the alarm bells of Matabeleland autonomy is the Movement for Democratic Change’s lack of policies in the event of winning elections to heal Matabeleland in regard to Gukurahundi the horrors of the 5th Brigade. This is despite the fact that Matabeleland is the powerhouse of the MDC and has been consistent in voting for the opposition since its formation in 1999.
Two weeks ago former ZIPRA intelligence chief Dumiso Dabengwa questioned why Ndebeles were always playing a second fiddle in political positions, yet historical Ndebeles have always had an organised political and economic system. For example, in King Mzilikazi and subsequently Lobengula’s era, there were already cabinet ministers such as Magwegwe who ran a prosperous economy that eradicated poverty by setting up a successful social welfare system such as Umlagiso for those seen to be living in poverty.
The Gukurahundi campaign was executed in a tribal ideology, which on its own merited the United Nations intervention. Apart from targeting political dissidents the scars of the campaign among ordinary villagers are still clear to this day. The ruins of ravaged homes, civilians with decapitated limbs and children born of rape from the 5th brigade are a common feature in areas such as Tsholotsho, Nkayi, Lupane and Gwanda.
According to the Geneva Convention of 1949, perpetrators of such crimes should be subject to individual criminal responsibility, and military and political leaders who participated in making and implementing the policy are also susceptible to charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
Coupled with genocides in the region and severe economic deprivation of Ndebele speaking people, there is a provision within the United Nations Security Council which empowers the right for self governance based on the international humanitarian law.
Ndebeles of Nguni origin migrated into Western Zimbabwe in 1821 following population explosion in Zululand while Shona speaking people migrated into the country in the 16th century reportedly from east and central Africa.
The death of Dr Isaac Nyathi in Bulawayo last week, one of PF-ZAPU’s most senior cadres clearly exposed cracks in the so-called Unity Accord when despite being declared a national hero there was a consensus with former PF-ZAPU leaders to bury him in Bulawayo’s Lady Stanely Cemetery.
Insiders told The Zim Diaspora that in the event the UN grants Matabeleland self-governance as a breakaway state, all bodies of former PF-ZAPU would be exhumed for reburial at the Lady Stanely Cemetery.
Also buried at Lady Stanely Cemetery is former ZIPRA commander Lockout Masuku who died soon after being released from Mr Mugabe’s prison.
Dr Nyathi is the second national hero after Rtd Lt Col Masala Sibanda to be buried at Lady Stanley in as many months. The two have joined other national heroes such as Masuku and Swazini Ndlovu who were buried at the cemetery.
Dr Nyathi was conferred with national hero status implying that he was to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, but surprisingly the funeral procession went ahead at Stanley Hall in Makokoba where a service was conducted on Saturday morning. A hastily convened meeting of Zanu-PF politburo members was called outside the hall just before the service began and the national chairman Cde John Nkomo briefed his colleagues about the latest developments concerning Dr Nyathi’s hero status. But this meeting did not mean anything because of John Nkomo’s close relation with president Mugabe.
Being interred at the national shrine and being bestowed the highest honour in the land under president Mugabe’s watch has turned out to be meaningless for former PF-ZAPU leaders.
“So there no reason why we should bury our heroes of the liberation struggle in Harare when we have such efforts of a break away state. We have tried to work from a national point of view, but it is now clear to us that our future is bleak even for our grand children. Most of highly educated Ndebeles prefer to leave the country because they are not locally recognised because of their tribe. So why should we be silent on such issues,” the source who requested anonymity said in a telephone interview from Bulawayo.
“We have already met certain individual figures within the UN, and everyone feel we have a strong case. And we are confident that there is nothing Mr Mugabe will do to block our effort as long as the UN legally declares us a breakaway state. One example of injustice is why was a qualified rail engineer like Alvord Mabhena removed from being the NRZ General manager only to be replaced by a CIO,” the sources said.
“Contrary to the lie being propagated by Mr Mugabe that Ndebeles are uneducated, we have a database of highly educated Ndebeles around the world. They are all waiting for such a fair order for them to come back home and take their rightful places”
“Why is it that for a long time until Jonathan Moyo changed the system, editors of Chronicle and Sunday mail have to be non-Ndebele? Why did we have principals of United College of Teacher Education being Non-Ndebele? Why do we have people from outside our region coming to head our institutions? Will it be acceptable to have a Ndebele as editor of Herald?” the source said.
There have been a number of senior citizens in Matabeleland who have questioned the status quos but only to be demonised as tribalists by My Mugabe’s machinery. For example former Bulawayo Mayor Mr Joshua Malinga once queried the same system, but only to find himself in deep trouble with Mr Mugabe. Now he has been consigned to oblivion.
Among senior former PF-ZAPU leaders at the funeral were Dumiso Dabengwa, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube, Angeline Masuku, Cain Mathema, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and Zimbabwe National Army Commander, Lieutenant General, Philip Valerio Sibanda.
On behalf of friends, Zimbabwe Defence Industries boss and member of former ZIPRA High Command, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube, described Dr Nyathi as one of the most outstanding revolutionaries, adding that he deserved to be branded a national hero.
"There are loopholes in the process of declaring people heroes, better methods must be arranged so that deserving people may be rewarded timeously," he said. Rtd Col Dube said Zimbabwe had copied the example of socialist countries in having heroes being declared and laid to rest at a national shrine. He urged a revisit to the practice, saying the concept had not been copied well.
"In those countries (socialist countries) you are declared a hero when you are still alive and bestowed with an honorary medal. Be it in agriculture or whatever field one should be recognised for their role. Even Peter Ndlovu should be declared a hero in recognition of his role in sport," he said.
"The question of debating a dead man’s status is not the best thing to do. We have the highest number of heroes in the world and I believe that some of them do not deserve that status".
Cain Mathema paid tribute to the fallen hero and chronicled Dr Nyathi’s life during the liberation struggle. He said when they went to war it was to create a better future for the country, saying Dr Nyathi had thrown the gauntlet to the living to continue developing the nation.
"We were all working for the future of the country and we should continue doing so. Everyone is a hero in his or her own right," he said.
Former ZIPRA intelligence chief, Dumiso Dabengwa gave a vote of thanks at the graveside, chronicling the last few days of Dr Nyathi. He also recounted their days during the liberation struggle, describing the late hero as a selfless cadre.
"We had no doubt about his hero status and here he is among other heroes like the late (Cde Lookout) Masuku," he said.