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.
——————–
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
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