Source: SOUTHERN NEWS | Sacked Tshinga Dube bares soul – DailyNews Live
Jeffrey Muvundusi 18 October 2017
BULAWAYO – Former War Veterans minister, Tshinga Dube, who was recently
dropped from President Robert Mugabe’s Cabinet, has once again
sensationally claimed that there were characters in Zanu PF that had been
baying for his blood ever since he challenged the 93-year-old to name his
successor.
He claimed that since his sacking, those people have been “celebrating”.
“Some sections of the war veterans were not happy at all by that statement
(Mugabe must name a successor) I made, hence had dismissed me a long time
ago.
“They held demonstrations to say I must be removed, so not everybody
appreciated my role. As I am speaking some are celebrating that I have
been dismissed,” he said.
Dube said he was, however, inspired by the fact that there were some in
Zanu PF who understood what he stood for.
“Well, I am grateful that others recognised my efforts during my time as
War Veterans minister.”
Asked if demonstrations against him by the Mandi Chimene-led faction of
the war veterans’ influenced his dismissal, Dube said he did not know
whether Mugabe gets influenced by people like that.
“But you cannot rule out anything, when you don’t know, you really don’t
know but all I know is that there were people who were baying for my blood
and crying that I should be dismissed every day.”
Despite all the mystery or theories surrounding his latest fate, the
humble and soft spoken former freedom fighter said all was well with him.
“I am no longer a minister but life doesn’t start and end with being a
minister. I am already 76 and what matters is what I have done over these
years.”
Asked if the War Veterans ministry is in capable hands with the new
minister, Cain Mathema, Dube said: “I know …Mathema very well; we were
together during the war. We were in the same department of communications;
I think he is a very cool fellow.
“However, it’s not easy to advise a grown up person, all I can do is
conduct a handover takeover, to show him what problems we had and what I
have left for him or what I think. But I cannot influence his thinking,”
he added.
Dube said he was now shifting his attention towards working for the party
as well as people in his Constituency.
“I have been an MP for my area for three years and it is the people who
have to judge what I have done compared to the 15 years that the MDC has
held this seat.”
Dube said contrary to what others may think, he was not bitter over
Mugabe’s decision to drop him from Cabinet and expressed gratitude for the
short time he was afforded to work as a minister.
“In any case it’s an experience in life. So I am not bitter at all, when
you are appointed you must be prepared to be dismissed or disappointed, so
I take it as something I never thought of, something that I cannot
contest,” he said.
The dismissal of Dube courted the ire of political analysts here in
Bulawayo who described it as a loss to Matabeleland region given his
hardworking nature.
Some also said Dube’s sacking exposed how Mugabe prioritised power at all
costs ahead of long-suffering Zimbabweans.
The former minister lost his job together with other ministers; Prisca
Mupfumira, Farber Chidarikire and Abedinico Ncube in a Cabinet reshuffle
analysts say is meant to consolidate Mugabe’s power.
…launches sports foundation
FORMER War Veterans minister, Tshinga Dube, has launched a foundation
targeted at promoting sports development in his Makokoba constituency.
He said the outfit – Tshinga J Dube Foundation – will mainly assist the
underprivileged youth.
“I have started this foundation to promote under 18 youths in Makokoba
constituency in as far as sports is concerned,” Dube told Southern News on
the side-lines of the launch last weekend.
“I will not be promoting soccer only, but all other sports you can think
of. I will provide things like uniforms, balls and other necessities for
the youngsters to use during their trainings and competitions,” he said.
A South Korean company, Kiona Charity, injected $50 000 into the
foundation.
It also provided balls and playing kits, among other sports accessories.
Dube indicated that talented youngsters from the area were set to get
scholarships to the Asian nation, as part of the foundation’s programme.
The Makokoba legislator said his motive was to give a helping hand to the
needy.
“I have always been assisting people in my constituency by organising
health expos, supplying sports kits and other donations, so this
initiative is just a continuation of my philanthropic work to my
constituency.”
He added: “This is charity to assist the underprivileged. I don’t support
those who have everything. My passion is to help those who can’t afford.”
He argued that the move was not about him winning the forthcoming
elections.
“This will continue even after elections I am not doing this for
elections. As long as I get funding, I will continue supporting the needy.
I have been doing this long before I became a member of parliament, those
who stay here can confess.”
Dube, a staunch fan of Bulawayo football giants Highlanders, said he was
also going to continue supporting the team financially, as he has always
done in the past.
Zanu PF ministers mere stooges: Mzila
FORMER National Healing minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu (pictured) has slammed
ministers in President Robert Mugabe’s latest Cabinet, labelling them
“mere stooges” who serve at the 93-year-old leader’s mercy.
Last week, Mugabe made a surprise Cabinet reshuffle in which he recycled
most of his long-serving loyal ministers.
Ndlovu, who is now the interim president of the newly-formed Alliance for
National Salvation (Ansa) opposition party, said the new Cabinet was
“hollow and a nonevent”.
“While we have no accurate information on the internal affairs of Zanu PF
to make a wholly informed analysis of its events that affect us as
citizens, we have taken clear a position as a party….the recent Cabinet
reshuffle is a nonevent in terms of responding to public expectations,”
Ndlovu told Southern News.
“It has been as ordinary as all other Zanu PF government reshuffles in the
last 37 years,” he said.
“Because of the over centralisation or command style of administration,
ministers are mere stooges or pawns under Mugabe,” he said, adding that
“they (ministers) are answerable to him and him alone”.
“So, whether it’s (Patrick) Chinamasa who is minister of Finance or
(Joseph) Chinotimba it’s of no consequence, the Zanu PF-managed economy
will continue to benefit Zanu PF members while impoverishing everyone
else.”
Ndlovu further noted that expectations that the reshuffle could have set
the economy on a recovery course were totally misplaced considering Zanu
PF’s history.
While many expect long-ruling Mugabe to step down due to his advanced age,
Ndlovu said that was not going to be the case.
“Mugabe is determined to die in office. If he is alive, he will contest in
any election, even in his frail state,” Ndlovu said, adding that “his past
cannot allow him to leave office.”
Ndlovu also challenged Zimbabweans to unite and dislodge Zanu PF
altogether in the next election, adding that with or without Mugabe, the
former revolutionary party as an institution had collapsed.
“Whether Grace Mugabe is in charge or Joint Operations Command, it makes
no difference to the rest of us. Fact is, the Zanu PF agenda persists.
“All the Zanu PF factions agree that their internal power contestations
will not leave us as beneficiaries of the internal discord.”
Umguza housing battle rages on
THE long-running battle between Umguza Rural District Council (Umguza) and
Reigate Compound residents is far from over, as the latter continues to
fiercely resist eviction.
The residents have for the past three years been up in arms with the local
authority after it changed land use to commercial on a site that they had
already occupied.
They had built about 75 housing blocks and approximately 300 families
occupied the compound, about eight kilometres from Bulawayo city.
After facing resistance, Umguza resorted to demolishing the structures and
cutting water and electricity supplies to the community.
Human rights activists intervened and the matter eventually spilled into
the courts, which halted the demolitions. Reigate residents representative
Titus Nkasa, 54, vowed that they will not give in to Umguza’s demands that
they vacate the place.
“Many of those we started the fight with have left and also their houses
have been destroyed, but the remaining families have vowed to continue
resisting any move to evict them. I am 54, I was born, grew up and worked
here, so this is the only home we know,” Nkasa said.
“Lately, they have been quiet but we are not surprised though, that has
been their modus operandi, they make you relax and when you think it’s all
over, you see them coming back,” Nkasa said.
“As you may be aware, the eviction was influenced by the fact that council
had pegged and sold stands which are where we have already built our
houses.
“Those who bought the stands have been constantly coming here threatening
us to leave but we have told them off,” he said.
The Southern News witnessed that the remaining defiant families were now
relying on borehole water and one remaining toilet, exposing them to
health hazards. Nkasa argued that they had “contributed a lot to the
existence of council and therefore they should not just take us for
granted.
“…our main worry is that they are trying to evict us today yet the
initial arrangement some two decades ago was for us to acquire the houses
on permanent basis on a rent-to-buy facility. So, this means all our
monies went into a drain?”
“That’s why we are saying at least, if they want us out here let them give
us land or stands, we are not saying we want it for free even if it means
paying, we don’t have any problem with that,” Nkasa said. He, however,
said it was disappointing that since the conflict started, the council’s
chief executive, Collin Moyo, has not engaged them.
Efforts to get Moyo’s comment were fruitless, as his mobile was not
reachable.
BCC goes for 7 years on generator
THE council here has gone for almost eight years relying on a diesel
generator to power two of its three major business buildings, the Tower
Block and Revenue Hall, raising concerns over its sincerity to be
reconnected to the national power grid which is cheaper.
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) was in 2010 forced to resort to the use
of a generator after the buildings in question were switched off by Zesa
Holdings (Zesa) over an unpaid electricity bill of over $40 million.
The high electricity bill the city owes Zesa reportedly emanated from the
pumping of water supplies from the local authority’s reservoirs and water
treatment plants.
However, noting the importance of water to residents, Zesa opted to
disconnect electricity from BCC’s two major buildings in a bid to recover
the outstanding bills.
Critics and residents have slammed the city fathers of using the generator
which they viewed as environmentally-unfriendly as well as costly as
compared to electricity.
Senior public relations officer Nesisa Mpofu yesterday told Southern News
that council was already making frantic efforts to ensure they reach
common ground with Zesa over the matter.
“Council continues to engage ZEDTC (Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and
Distribution Company) on the reconnection of Tower Block, the last time
being two months ago,” Mpofu said.
“It is council’s intention to have Tower Block connected to Zesa, as it is
cost effective and environmentally-friendly and hence engagements will
continue.”
She, however, said as much as the council was willing to be reconnected to
the power grid,
“It should also be noted that the agreement reached will have financial
implications which council has to consider.”
Mpofu confirmed to the Southern News that, BCC was spending an average $85
064 to run the generator per annum.
The local authority is using a Perkins 300 diesel-only generator, which,
according to its manufacturers has an apparent power of 300 Kilovolt amps
and standby of 330 kilovolt amps.
When operating at 50 percent capacity, the generator uses 40 litres an
hour and 58 litres an hour when operating at 75 capacity, while its
consumption rate goes up to 75 litres per hour when it is at 100 percent
capacity.
At 110 percent capacity it gobbles 84 litres an hour, meaning that council
could be gobbling more than $85 000, according to Mpofu.
In light of the expenses involved in either using electricity or a
generator, Mpofu also highlighted the need to explore cheaper
alternatives.
“Cheaper alternatives, such as solar energy, have been explored. These,
however, require initial huge capital outlays. Funding allowing, this
project will be undertaken in 2018,” she said.
Efforts to get a comment from Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira were
fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Cross speaks on tribalism storm
BULAWAYO South MDC legislator, Eddie Cross – who has been under fire after
he recently torched a tribal storm after insinuating that Ndebele
political leaders were divisive and viciously opposed to the idea of an
alliance – has said he is being unnecessarily hounded.
He told Southern News that his remark was misinterpreted and he “does not
feel threatened”.
“You can judge me on my writing. I try to be fair and objective and
honest. Not always welcome,” Cross said in response to emailed questions.
“I have been writing on the struggle for 10 years,” he said.
Cross, who asked this reporter to visit his blog first to see how he
articulated issues, before responding, said: “If you think I am wrong or
unbalanced in what I say on any subject please let me know.”
Further quizzed to elaborate on the matter on his remark in question, he
said: “I do not want to stoke the fires. So much is based on a
misunderstanding.
“But I don’t feel threatened either, not at all; I am totally committed to
the struggle.”
Cross’ remark which triggered the furore was carried on his blog in an
opinion titled “Are our tribal roots still relevant?”
The opinion was in response to recent divisions that rocked the MDC and
the Tendai Biti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the formation of
the MDC Alliance.
Cross accused leaders from Matabeleland of being a threat to the formation
of a coalition by opposition parties ahead of next year’s elections.
“It has not been an easy road to walk, Ndebele interests always wanted
special recognition and representation and the influence of tribal
affiliation is found in all areas of the country, Chipinge with the Ndau
for example,” wrote Cross.
“Now suddenly, the spectre of Ndebele nationalism is raising its head
again – a new “king” has been sworn in (the first in 100 years), a new
alliance is proposed between various Ndebele and Zulu-dominated groups.
“Ndebele leaders in both . . . Biti’s . . . PDP and the (Morgan
Tsvangirai-led) MDC-T are demanding special treatment and threatening to
coalesce around a new separatist Ndebele/Kalanga leadership,” he noted.
Cross added: “This is very dangerous and retrogressive and I hope the MDC
Alliance will reject this initiative and maintain its historical stance;
devolved power and control within a unitary State is the only way forward.
Anything else can only take us backward.”
Last week, police here blocked an Ibhetshu LikaZulu-organised
demonstration against him in his constituency.
Nkomo foundation to host war veterans
THE Joshua Nkomo Foundation (JNF) is expected to host veterans of the
liberation struggle tomorrow, as part of the initiative to commemorate the
late vice president Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.
The event is set to be held at the nationalist’s residence in
Matsheumhlope.
Expelled former War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube is expected to be one
of the guest speakers, among a host of war veterans who have been lined
up.
JNF chief executive Jabulani Hadebe confirmed the planned gathering but
could not be drawn into revealing more details, as the war vets are likely
to touch on sensitive matters, including their disgruntlement over poor
welfare support from government.
“In 1998, veterans of our liberation struggle visited Father Zimbabwe
(Nkomo) at his residence at 17 Aberdeen Rd, Matsheumhlope and handed him a
leopard skin and conferred him a status of `Hero of Heroes’.
“The veterans of our liberation struggle have not visited the residence of
Umdala wethu ever since his passing away on July 1, 1999,” Hadebe said.
As a result, he said the Foundation would bring on board veterans of the
struggle to grace the event whose day has been deliberately chosen to
coincide with the bombing of Freedom Camp and Mkushi Transit Camp in
Zambia in 1978.
“On the day, we will also remember those who sacrificed their lives for
something bigger than themselves.
“A day we honour the surviving veterans, the departed and also remember
the achievements, their courage and their dedication and to say thank you
for their sacrifices,” Hadebe said.
JNF board of trustees is chaired by Francis Nhema while Simon Khaya Moyo,
Thandiwe Nkomo, Dumisani Nkomo and Phathisa Nyathi are some of the
trustees.
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