via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Secession, Matebeleland’s only hope for future. 11 June 2014 by Zanda Shumba
At the inception of independence Mugabe became president of Zimbabwe. During the 1980 elections Zanu-PF largely played the tribal card to make sure Joshua Nkomo did not win the election despite his popularity. Nkomo was then offered the ceremonial post of President but declined. He was appointed to the cabinet, but in 1982 was accused of plotting a coup. His passport was seized and was restricted to his Bulwayo home. Nkomo, with the help of his supports in his home area, soon sneaked out of his restriction in Bulawayo and Zimbabwe through the Botswana border to Britain.
Mugabe then unleashed the fifth Brigade upon Nkomo’s Matebeleland homeland. The Perence Shiri led North Korean-trained fifth Brigade, then led an operation code named Gukurahundi. That Brigade was sent into Matebelelnd to deal with what were known as dissidents. The army killed thousands of civilians in Matebeleland as they claimed they were containing armed insurgents. The killings ended in 1987 when ZAPU fearing for the safety of its people, agreed to a Unity Accord with ZANU.
The two parties merged, leaving Zimbabwe a one party state, which Mugabe had always wanted. Nkomo throughout his career preached a simple gospel of no-tribalism, racial mix, equal opportunity and equal distribution of land among whites and the disposed blacks. He believed that if the land imbalance was corrected, everyone in Zimbabwe would be uplifted socially and economically.
What was to ensue was what everyone did not anticipate. After the rejection of the 2000 referendum, in a state of panic, Mugabe who was always power hungry incited the so called war vets into invading, driving off and killing white farmers. Those who were in position of power like army and police, sent their juniors armed and with a specific instruction to drive off white farmers and their families within 24hrs. This means farmers were only able to take only a little of their belongings, visa a vis clothes and few pieces of furniture. The remaining was looted, sold or just annexed. For example this is what happened at Chivaraidze farm, just outside Harare along Shamva road, where General Chiwenga and his now estranged wife annexed. We heard the farmer, at gunpoint, was given 24 hrs to vacate the farm. Similar occurrences were at various places around the country. This happened with General Douglas Nyikayaramba, Air Vice Marshal Muchena at Serui farm, Perance Shiri and all other security service chiefs includi
ng Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri at all the respective farms they violently occupied.. This is how all the top echelon security chiefs acquired the best farmlands adjacent to perennial rivers. This was not televised of course but government officials who later were forced to visit these farms to offer technical advice were soon to learn from disgruntled farm workers who remained on the farms after the whites were literally kicked off.
Many people agree that that there was unequal land distribution prior to this ad hoc land reform. Many people wished this land reform was addressed progressively, transparently and without hurting the economy and industry which were intricately connected to agriculture through forward and backward linkages.
When as a result of this the economy faltered, the clever Mugabe started blaming the western countries about sanctions which had only been imposed on a targeted few individuals who had direct links to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Such restrictive measures included travel bans to Europe, USA, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand, to name a few. To a limited extent assets and bank accounts freeze were imposed on certain individuals.
Later in Operation Maguta came and the security service chiefs who were at the helm of administering the program made sure they first developed their farms with the funds, and they got most of the inputs. That’s when also when Mr. Gideon Gono who then was at the helm of the RBZ rose to prominence, by dishing out “loans” to these service chiefs. These” loans” were never to be recovered. Parallel programs with other loan facilities were administered through the ministry of Agriculture and Ministers, Permanent secretaries, members of the politburo and members of parliament and CIOs benefitted. CDE Made was also a Father Christmas on the other side dishing farm machinery and transformers bought from China. All that time he was duping the nation that there will be a bumper harvest. Behind all this was a Dr. Gideon Gono printing money and doing all sorts of financial juggling to keep the country from coming to a standstill. In all theses “loan” facilities it was it was almost the same people benefitting. It shou
ld therefore not surprise anyone to see Dr. Gono succeeding President MuGabe who is now so frail as not to be able to continue. So Kereke is really not off the mark in his claims. Information is still there in bits and pieces in at Arex and the Department of Irrigation and Mechanization. As a result of Gonos reckless printing of money, and illegal encroachment into fiscal administration, inflation rose to 250 million %. Eventually this led to the total abandonment of the local currency, of course having been rendered useless by his unorthodox reactions to simple economic principles made complex by Zanu-pf stranglehold to power.
In all this very few people from Matebeleland benefitted. Matebeleland remains dry and with no water coming out of the tap in many places. Talk about the Zambezi Water project only surface whenever we draw close to the elections. Matebeleland has remained marginalized in terms of development, both socio- and economic. The City of Kings has become a city of beggars. In Matebeleland unemployment is close to 90%. Many companies are folding and closing down. Much of the revenue collected from tourism in Matebeleland is squandered by Zanu-Pf elites, or pays for so frequent trips travel for Ahab and his evil wife, Jezebel. High up in Mashonaland provinces people don’t usually give a thought to their future or fellow citizens’ welfare. When they are given inputs for agriculture they sell them to obtain quick buck. When the currency falters, they change and burn money. People in the capital think only about the immediate survival of self. What happens to people in the villages or in remote areas of drought stricken Matebeleland, they never try to think about it. People in Harare Province are highly disunited; here it is each man for himself and his family first. If there is no electricity the richer ones buy generators. If there is no water at the tap, each drills own borehole. If garbage is no collected, dump it at the street corner. Just compare how cleaner Bulawayo is compared to Harare.
People in Matebeleland are still generally more united than people in Mashonalnd provinces and during poll times there is generally less violence in Matebeleland, unless it is exported there via the security service chiefs. In other provinces one just buys a few youths opaque beer during election time and they cut people’s arms into halves or cut their tongues out. There are more zombies in Mashonaland provinces than in Matebeleland provinces. I am Shona and don’t speak any Ndebele. But I respect and love justice. I have worked in many provinces in the country including both Mat. North and South. I don’t hate my own people but I am surprised by the level of unfeeling we exhibit. We don’t even feel for members from our own people.
So I don’t begrudge the Matebelelands if at any one time they advocate forming a state of their own. I bet, it will perform much better than the other state with more provinces and vast resources. But there in the north where corruption is a badge, where the social structure is fast vanishing, we have little hope.
If they have a chance to form their own state, Matebeleland should go ahead. South Sudan split from the north. Scotland is about to do sever itself from the UK. How long can Matebeleland continue to be marginalized by a government whose first step at independence, was to try to wipe out all of them. Given their unity, they can achieve statehood and subsequently rapid development, leaving the rest of the corrupt lot up north behind. What part can they play in a government where only one man can be a president? Mugabe was interviewed by BBC recently and he said he does not know if there is any other man, even among his own people, who he thinks can be president. To Mugabe, if he dies, which I think will be pretty soon, Zimbabwe might be closed. There is also the likelihood that one of the already filthy rich duo, Emmerson Munangagwa or Joyce Mujuru will be president. It will be back to square one for the Zimbabweans. For these two are known to have accumulated untold riches through not so legitimate means. Many people close to them confess of their hunger and ability to accumulate much more wealth, given the chance to be at the helm. They have accumulated these riches at a time the general people were sinking deep into excruciating poverty. In other words they have taken, or more accurately, have stolen theses other peoples shares of prosperity and made them their own. That these other people are in abject poverty, it does not matter to them. All they want is to be at the helm, to accumulate more riches.
Joyce Mujuru recently showed her true colors of her attitude towards corruption when as vice president took a swipe at individuals behind the salary gate expose, foolishly describing the whistle blowers as enemies of the state.
Emmerson Mnangagwa also recently showed great disrespect for the people of Zimbabwe when he blatantly said “we will not listen to what the people” after the Zanu-PF controlled house of parliament bulldozed through the Electoral Amendment Bill without incorporating any public input.
Given all these at a time when people in Mat. North and South are suffering excruciating poverty, there is no reason for them to remain united to the mainstream Zimbabwe. They are not benefitting anything except benefitting Mugabe and his cronies who always feign unity as a way of remaining in control of the two Matebelelands.
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Zanda Shumba zekishumba@gmail.com, St Johns, Bag 113 Nyazura +263776630178
Mugabe then unleashed the fifth Brigade upon Nkomo’s Matebeleland homeland. The Perence Shiri led North Korean-trained fifth Brigade, then led an operation code named Gukurahundi. That Brigade was sent into Matebelelnd to deal with what were known as dissidents. The army killed thousands of civilians in Matebeleland as they claimed they were containing armed insurgents. The killings ended in 1987 when ZAPU fearing for the safety of its people, agreed to a Unity Accord with ZANU.
The two parties merged, leaving Zimbabwe a one party state, which Mugabe had always wanted. Nkomo throughout his career preached a simple gospel of no-tribalism, racial mix, equal opportunity and equal distribution of land among whites and the disposed blacks. He believed that if the land imbalance was corrected, everyone in Zimbabwe would be uplifted socially and economically.
What was to ensue was what everyone did not anticipate. After the rejection of the 2000 referendum, in a state of panic, Mugabe who was always power hungry incited the so called war vets into invading, driving off and killing white farmers. Those who were in position of power like army and police, sent their juniors armed and with a specific instruction to drive off white farmers and their families within 24hrs. This means farmers were only able to take only a little of their belongings, visa a vis clothes and few pieces of furniture. The remaining was looted, sold or just annexed. For example this is what happened at Chivaraidze farm, just outside Harare along Shamva road, where General Chiwenga and his now estranged wife annexed. We heard the farmer, at gunpoint, was given 24 hrs to vacate the farm. Similar occurrences were at various places around the country. This happened with General Douglas Nyikayaramba, Air Vice Marshal Muchena at Serui farm, Perance Shiri and all other security service chiefs includi
ng Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri at all the respective farms they violently occupied.. This is how all the top echelon security chiefs acquired the best farmlands adjacent to perennial rivers. This was not televised of course but government officials who later were forced to visit these farms to offer technical advice were soon to learn from disgruntled farm workers who remained on the farms after the whites were literally kicked off.
Many people agree that that there was unequal land distribution prior to this ad hoc land reform. Many people wished this land reform was addressed progressively, transparently and without hurting the economy and industry which were intricately connected to agriculture through forward and backward linkages.
When as a result of this the economy faltered, the clever Mugabe started blaming the western countries about sanctions which had only been imposed on a targeted few individuals who had direct links to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. Such restrictive measures included travel bans to Europe, USA, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand, to name a few. To a limited extent assets and bank accounts freeze were imposed on certain individuals.
Later in Operation Maguta came and the security service chiefs who were at the helm of administering the program made sure they first developed their farms with the funds, and they got most of the inputs. That’s when also when Mr. Gideon Gono who then was at the helm of the RBZ rose to prominence, by dishing out “loans” to these service chiefs. These” loans” were never to be recovered. Parallel programs with other loan facilities were administered through the ministry of Agriculture and Ministers, Permanent secretaries, members of the politburo and members of parliament and CIOs benefitted. CDE Made was also a Father Christmas on the other side dishing farm machinery and transformers bought from China. All that time he was duping the nation that there will be a bumper harvest. Behind all this was a Dr. Gideon Gono printing money and doing all sorts of financial juggling to keep the country from coming to a standstill. In all theses “loan” facilities it was it was almost the same people benefitting. It shou
ld therefore not surprise anyone to see Dr. Gono succeeding President MuGabe who is now so frail as not to be able to continue. So Kereke is really not off the mark in his claims. Information is still there in bits and pieces in at Arex and the Department of Irrigation and Mechanization. As a result of Gonos reckless printing of money, and illegal encroachment into fiscal administration, inflation rose to 250 million %. Eventually this led to the total abandonment of the local currency, of course having been rendered useless by his unorthodox reactions to simple economic principles made complex by Zanu-pf stranglehold to power.
In all this very few people from Matebeleland benefitted. Matebeleland remains dry and with no water coming out of the tap in many places. Talk about the Zambezi Water project only surface whenever we draw close to the elections. Matebeleland has remained marginalized in terms of development, both socio- and economic. The City of Kings has become a city of beggars. In Matebeleland unemployment is close to 90%. Many companies are folding and closing down. Much of the revenue collected from tourism in Matebeleland is squandered by Zanu-Pf elites, or pays for so frequent trips travel for Ahab and his evil wife, Jezebel. High up in Mashonaland provinces people don’t usually give a thought to their future or fellow citizens’ welfare. When they are given inputs for agriculture they sell them to obtain quick buck. When the currency falters, they change and burn money. People in the capital think only about the immediate survival of self. What happens to people in the villages or in remote areas of drought stricken Matebeleland, they never try to think about it. People in Harare Province are highly disunited; here it is each man for himself and his family first. If there is no electricity the richer ones buy generators. If there is no water at the tap, each drills own borehole. If garbage is no collected, dump it at the street corner. Just compare how cleaner Bulawayo is compared to Harare.
People in Matebeleland are still generally more united than people in Mashonalnd provinces and during poll times there is generally less violence in Matebeleland, unless it is exported there via the security service chiefs. In other provinces one just buys a few youths opaque beer during election time and they cut people’s arms into halves or cut their tongues out. There are more zombies in Mashonaland provinces than in Matebeleland provinces. I am Shona and don’t speak any Ndebele. But I respect and love justice. I have worked in many provinces in the country including both Mat. North and South. I don’t hate my own people but I am surprised by the level of unfeeling we exhibit. We don’t even feel for members from our own people.
So I don’t begrudge the Matebelelands if at any one time they advocate forming a state of their own. I bet, it will perform much better than the other state with more provinces and vast resources. But there in the north where corruption is a badge, where the social structure is fast vanishing, we have little hope.
If they have a chance to form their own state, Matebeleland should go ahead. South Sudan split from the north. Scotland is about to do sever itself from the UK. How long can Matebeleland continue to be marginalized by a government whose first step at independence, was to try to wipe out all of them. Given their unity, they can achieve statehood and subsequently rapid development, leaving the rest of the corrupt lot up north behind. What part can they play in a government where only one man can be a president? Mugabe was interviewed by BBC recently and he said he does not know if there is any other man, even among his own people, who he thinks can be president. To Mugabe, if he dies, which I think will be pretty soon, Zimbabwe might be closed. There is also the likelihood that one of the already filthy rich duo, Emmerson Munangagwa or Joyce Mujuru will be president. It will be back to square one for the Zimbabweans. For these two are known to have accumulated untold riches through not so legitimate means. Many people close to them confess of their hunger and ability to accumulate much more wealth, given the chance to be at the helm. They have accumulated these riches at a time the general people were sinking deep into excruciating poverty. In other words they have taken, or more accurately, have stolen theses other peoples shares of prosperity and made them their own. That these other people are in abject poverty, it does not matter to them. All they want is to be at the helm, to accumulate more riches.
Joyce Mujuru recently showed her true colors of her attitude towards corruption when as vice president took a swipe at individuals behind the salary gate expose, foolishly describing the whistle blowers as enemies of the state.
Emmerson Mnangagwa also recently showed great disrespect for the people of Zimbabwe when he blatantly said “we will not listen to what the people” after the Zanu-PF controlled house of parliament bulldozed through the Electoral Amendment Bill without incorporating any public input.
Given all these at a time when people in Mat. North and South are suffering excruciating poverty, there is no reason for them to remain united to the mainstream Zimbabwe. They are not benefitting anything except benefitting Mugabe and his cronies who always feign unity as a way of remaining in control of the two Matebelelands.
——————–
Zanda Shumba zekishumba@gmail.com, St Johns, Bag 113 Nyazura +263776630178 – See more at: http://www.bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-48855.html#sthash.bxz3vpKy.dpuf
COMMENTS
A Well chronicled and written opinion piece
True
On this one,i choose to first hold my cards by my chest.Remember this status quo has been invented by a few men and not all Shonas.Yes enjoyed by Shonas to an extent one might argue,but maybe if there was a correct parent at the top maybe he could have told the kids from the other house that you don’t practice or enjoy sadism over you other brothers and sisters there.Yes Zanu might have been formed tribal out of Zapu,with Nkomo also loosing elections to tribal opponents but the regime has proved beyond that to all Zimbabwean today thou mostly in Matebeleland by margins.I thought we were going to prove this incompatibility after Tswangison’s now distant administration by the look of things.Therefore I don’t know since the inventers of the system seem to show that they will be there for a long time.Wish they can be re-born with a different leader of a different attitude towards all of us as one people.I am from MATEBELELAND,married to a Shona but attests to this claim and that does not impair my judgement on this issue.
Yes its only a matter of time before we forcefully demand the partitioning of the country. You can oppress people some of the times but not all the times.
Thought provoking. I am more inclined to a federal state with inclusion of Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi, giving greater otonomy to the provincial regions.
Again, Shumba’s views are on the spot. I am Ndebele but would fall short of telling it like Shumba did, in case it be taken as tribal. Shonas would like Ndebeles to be Shonas in order to get respect. I happened to go to school at St Ignatius College where we were only 6 Ndebele speaking. I noticed then how different we were. In general Ndebeles are accommodative and Shonas are not, hence a zanupf they want to model. While this might be a sensitive topic a closer look at Shumba’s view would lead one to start changing by doing the right thing. Accommodating each other is the core issue. If we start calling each other Zimbabwean rather than Ndebele, Shona, Zezuru, Ndau etc, accommodating each other will always be an issue. In Botswana there is one nationality: Tswana. Whether one is Kalanga by tribe he is a Tswana and tribalism is non existent. God created us unique. It is upon to find common ground and leave together. If we stick to tribalism we will fight a war we will never win. One of the isms we fought for was nationalism not tribalism. It’s only when we start doing the right things that change will come: Accommodating each other. Shumba, you are great
When a person can see and understand an opinion from the opposite view, understand that view and accept that view as relevant, then you have the beginning of democracy. when both parties presenting their opinions can understand and accept each others views they can at least work out a plan that will accommodate the important points from each opinion. of course this requires two opposing opinions???
I take my hat off to Zanda Shumba, what he writes about the Southern residing Zimbabweans is true. and besides as Mr magarbage spoke of the right by Russia’s formal annexation of Crimea perhaps if our southern brothers decided this is what they wanted to do he would give his blessing as this is his feeling in Crimea, not that they would need it. All i am going to say is that had Mr Nkomo been given the opportunity to lead this country it would have been a much better place for all of us. He had put into words on paper long before independence his vision of how this country would be shaped!
Next, Manicaland where Shumba appears to be writing from shall demand its independence. After all it is also a grossly underdeveloped province. The diamond wealth of the province has not made any difference in it’s peoples life in fact they are worse of. It is no secret that the nation’s wealth is being ursuped by a few individuals, Manicaland bore the brunt of the liberation war to its fullest extent. After independence it’s people have been victimised for not voting Zanu Pf. The leadership aspirations of its sons and daughters are stifled because they don’t have support of the majority tribes.
In Zim development only takes place in Harare even then it’s only piecemeal because a few people grab all for themselves. At the end of the day every province shall demand secession creating an unstable region and setting a dangerous precedent, remember Africa is fractured along ethnic lines. Or alternatively we can just get rid of the system that allows a few to benefit at everyone else’s expense and come out united and stronger with a purpose for a Zimbabwe that benefits all Zimbabweans. We need to foster a common Zimbabwean identity and inculcate pride and a culture of responsibility for our nations affairs collectively and individually. This thing of allowing past hang ups to determine our future must end. Our ugly past must be acknowledged and addressed only for purposes of reconciliation unity and nation building not nation destruction.
In 1998 in Harare, as a Ndebele surrounded by Shona friends and discussing politics. Knowing Mugabe’s evil heart more than any of them, I said this guy you’re supporting, one day he’ll turn against you. “That’ll never happen” I was rudely told. Remember he was a darling in Mashonaland until the economy started taking in water from 1999. As Shumba puts it, Shona guys are very selfish, self centered and don’t care for the next guy as long as it doesn’t affect them.
Had they spoken out during gukurahundi who knows where we could be now. Now they started running around crying sadc,AU, UN…well it doesn’t work that way. You keep a lion cub and ignore all warnings don’t expect anyone to come to your rescue.
Shumba’s right. This is a great opportunity for Matabeleland to start mobilizing for secession. Publicize gukurahundi and all the sidelining the region has experienced; jobs, relocation of firms to Harare, education etc. etc.
Mature debate. Love you people.
I agree with Shumba’s views , i also agree with the comment that other provinces are also marginalised, I think the centralisation of goverment and allocation of resources is only good for the centre. Devolution of powers and fair allocation of NATIONAL resources is the only way to address marginalisation, unfortunately Zanu Pf doesnt want to hear this and they are forcing us into a corner. Make no mistake we people of Matebeleland are fed up and frustrated and once we find an outlet to vent our frustrations it chaos i tell you, lingathi asilitshelanga. Under normal circumstatnces no one in their right mind would desire breaking up a country but when the government treats us in contempt we have no choice, its not a tribal issue just a realistic way of trying to gain respect and dignity.
I think this is a great article. After 34 years of marginalisation, mayhem, tribalism and murder it is unfair to expect the people of Matabeleland to stay tethered to the Devil that is Mashonaland. Let us not forget that “Zimbabwe” is a colonially-created state in terms of borders. A simple referendum would return a resounding “YES” vote for Independence by the people of Mat’land.
Give me the dust, the flies and the lack of water in Matabeleland any day! We will show the world what we can do!
Every African country is a colonially created state, what justifies these arbitrary borders except the whims of the white man. Let us never lose site of what is important here my brother, Mashonaland is not a devil, those people are just starving like everyone else, the real enemy is Zanu Pf, of course nxa sesithatha izwe lethu umahluko pakathi kwe Zanu le mashonaland might be blurred but im saying let us not be found guilty of the petty tribalism that we accuse Zanu pf for otherwise our project will not succeed by reason of it being labelled a tribalist project.
Have to disagree with you Russell. True, white man made borders, but at the big OAU summit in Addis Abbaba, black man agreed with keep them. At that point, they became black man’s borders. White made it, but Black agreed to buy it. One can’t reject it and agree to it. All of which is beside the point–which is that black has rejected the only but wonderful blessing opportunity that colonialism offered: love and embrace one another and unify into a larger family. That should have been the reason for keeping colonial borders. But the real reason for keeping them is so that the ruling tribe could enjoy having other tribes to beat down in contrived entrapment, and blame others for the viciousness in their own hearts. Didn’t chose what house they got lodged in, but did choose to devour one another instead of marry. That’s not the fault od=f colonialism, and that is the shameful fallacy in the blame colonialism game.
I beg to differ . Ndebele invaded shona land wiped out the pipo and now want to claim a separate state. did they bring the land with them. they should go back to Zululand and create own state there. not dividing us.
And Mugarbage should go back to Malawi or Mozambique, wherever he originates from!
You did not drop from heaven. Go back to your brothers up north in the Great Lakes region who do genocide like you did here too. That’s your characteristic- genocidaires!
Your memory is sadly clouded. How many shonas have seeked sanctuary in zululand? Why not seek sanctuary were you originated from?
The right to self determination is not just an emotive issue, it is a just and noble cause.
In South Africa, if you listen to any radio live show where people call in to air their views, you hear them introduce themselves like “Ngu Bhekinkose eNquthu, nginguMzulu”
A Xhosa caller does the same. Sotho, Pedi, Vhenda etc. And that is normal.
In Botswana, if you introduce yourself anywhere in public, without suffixing it with your tribe, that introduction is not complete and implies that you don’t fully know yourself. It may be embarrassing sometimes when they ask you “O Kabelo ko kae?” (You are Kabelo from where?)
So why is it considered tribalism, in Zimbabwe when someone proudly says in public “NgiliNdebele, ndiri muShona, ndi Nkalanga, ndinguMxhosa” Why?
It is because we are in jail. We have been taught never to know who we are. We are only allowed to remember the general nationality, Zimbabwean.
My first ID before 1980 had a section where my tribe was clearly shown. Well, the imperialists might have their own reasons for doing that, eg to use that as a “divide and rule” strategy, but I do not believe it is enough to only know yourself as Zimbabwean, and I do not think it is a crime for me or anyone to phone in during one of the Radio Zimbabwe live shows and say: “Ngingu Ndabazabantu, ngiseTsholotsho, eMkhayeni, ngiliNdebele”
I dont agree with secession. I dont agree with you on a separate state Shumba. I agree with many of your observations though.Zim should adopt the South African devolution model of governance and change its name to one more accommodative of everyone else. If needs be; go back to the name Rhodesia.
Mozambique retained their name at independence. South Africa retained their name for the same reasons of unity. The name has to be changed to prevent the current thinking that is now so predominant among some of the Zimbabweans, that says the country is so-named becaue it belongs to the Shona – not to the rest of us. These are some of the things that have led to secessionist ideas – but I dont agree with this as a solution.
What Zimbabwe needs right now is a drastic change of attitudes from the majority Shona.This is no longer just a ZANU PF created problem – its now at the man-in-the-street level.
It is not enough to oppose Mugabe’s rule without outgrowing or getting rid of his whole world outlook of what should define Zimbabwe the nation.
I personally feel that most Shona people are genuinely against Mugabe and his government and its ways of doing things; but the problem is that most of them still retain the Mugabe/ZANU PF outlook of the Zimbabwe entity. One that is essentially defined in terms of the Shona at the total exclusion of everyone else. To me, this is the crux of the problem, even within the opposition ranks.
Shona people should stop arguing on the basis of numbers to justify isolating fellow citizens – this creates disunity and plants secessionist ideas.
What is even worse in Zimbabwe’s case is that when you look at the provinces of Matebeleland – the Shona people actually constitute a minority in those provinces; but their dominance in terms of state institutions and the private sector totally ignores this. Its like expecting the Zulus to dominate in positions of authority in the Limpopo province; a province that is hundreds and huhdreds of kims away from their own home areas. This is obviously a recipe for disaster in ethnic terms/relationships.
Ethnic numbers can not be used as reason for domination in every sphere of life. This is why many progressive constitutions have clauses that protect minorities.
Been de-facto partitioned for thirty years. Why not formalize what everyone knows to be true?