By Israel Dube – No matter how much President Mnangagwa tries to ignore Matabeleland grievances and griefs, they will always follow him everywhere he goes like his own shadow.
As he prepares to visit UK, we implore Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, his Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss and the good people of United Kingdom to knock some sense into his head and remind him that Matabeles are humans too, we want out of Zimbabwe to exercise our right to self determination.
We are aware that pending his UK visit, President Emmerson Mnangagwa hurriedly produced what he termed ‘gukurahundi resolutions’ and bribed Matabele traditional Chiefs to accept and impose them on the people of Matabeleland.
We know as well that he did this in order to deceive Britain and the world into believing that there is progress concerning Matabeleland genocide. The truth is the resolutions are a none starter. They are a waste of energy, time and donor funds.
Information received from various patriotic Matabele chiefs who are vehemently opposed to Mnangagwa suspicious resolutions is that Matabeleland chiefs that attended a meeting held with Mnangagwa at Matabeleland Statehouse on 29 October 2020, were each given US$ 500 as bribe.
This to accept a position taken by the perpetrator that there is progress in Matabeleland as far as Matabeleland genocide is concerned.
Again, the chiefs that held a meeting with Mnangagwa on the 21st of August 2021 received US $700 each to adopt and impose the following resolutions on Matabeles:
a) each Chief will spearhead the resolutions in their area of jurisdiction b) the process should be victim centered and should also involve key stakeholders engagement and that the gukurahundi issue must not be tribalised in order to foster national building and national healing
c) issuance of documentation like birth certificates, IDs and death certificates d) look into issues of underdevelopment and marginalisation of Matabeleland region
e) promote national healing, national reconciliation and national building
f) provide counseling and psychological support
g) consultation of victims
h) exhumations, reburials and memorials
i) reparation and Compensation
j) pensions, free education, social welfare and health services
k) exhumations and reburials should be resolved on a case by case basis custom centric and relevant chiefs should give guidance and direction
l) social security benefits to be resolved on case by case basis
m) the issue is traditional and should be delt with by traditional leaders
n) the chiefs who would support and implement the above resolutions speedily and successfully would each be given US $100 000, 50 herd of cattle and enjoy a personal handshake from Mnangagwa.
This information was received from various patriotic Matabele chiefs on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals and was verified and confirmed by our reliable sources closely monitoring the events.
MLO demands to know why the last resolution was not made public like other resolutions? Why the perpetrator is using money to force Matabele chiefs to deal with Matabeleland genocide, a serious crime against humanity which is well beyond their jurisdiction while the murder of 6 Shona civilians in 2018 by the same Zimbabwe National Army was handled by an International Commission of Enquiry?
It is our hope that the United Kingdomwhich assisted the Zimbabweans to regain their independence from white minority oppression, will also find it in its good heart to help Matabeles to free themselves from Shona majority oppression. Black oppression is as bad as white oppression. In the case of Zimbabwe black oppression is even worse.
For reference purposes and to avoid future misinformation, misinterpretation and deception by the Zimbabwe government, MLO President, Cde Paul Siwela sent the Notice of Demand for the Restoration of Matabeleland State to former United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the late former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, in 2015.
In 2018 a follow up letter with the Notice attached was sent to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make sure all concerned parties received the Notice of Demand for the Restoration of Matabeleland State.
We strongly believe that the UK has a pivotal role to play in correcting the imperfect decolonisation process birthed by the 1979 Lancaster House Talks that put Matabeleland under the oppressive Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe.
It is our testimony that through this flawed political arrangement Matabeles fell from the Rhodesian frying pan into the Zimbabwean raging tribal fires. Matabele people have never known freedom and peace for 128 years to date.
Within months of the so called Zimbabwe independence the Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe, motivated by tribal hate, deployed the Zimbabwe National Army 5th Brigade into Matabeleland in the pretext that they were looking for dissidents yet the evil intention was to wipe out Matabele nation.
More than 40 000 innocent unarmed Matabele civilians including women, children and old people were dastardly murdered. More that 100 000 Matabele women raped, more than 100 000 Matabele homes burnt down, more than 300 000 Matabeles tortured and maimed. More than 1 million displaced into neighbouring countries like South Africa and Botswana.
The remaining 4 million plus Matabeles are suffering immensely for being born Matabele at the oppressive hands of the Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe. They are tribally segregated in the institutions of higher learning, labour market, politics, economy and all spheres of life.
MLO rejects President Emmerson Mnangagwa produced Matabeleland genocide resolution with contempt it deserves. As Europeans would not allow Hitler to resolve the issue of Holocaust because he was a perpetrator, on the same grounds we reject President Mnangagwa’s resolutions.
The resolutions only add salt to injury and rise the level of anger on the part of surviving victims of Matabeleland genocide. It shows that the government of Zimbabwe treats Matabeles with disdain and disrespect.
Matabeles want to know why their innocent and unarmed relatives were slaughtered like goats? They want to know why they are tribally marginalised from all spheres of life to date? They want Matabeleland genocide to be called what it is, genocide, not disturbances, gukurahundi or conflict as the Zimbabwe government refers to it to cover up genocide.
Matabeleland genocide is a political issue so President Mnangagwa must stop bribing and abusing Matabeleland traditional chiefs to force them to accept and implement his resolutions.
These resolutions serve to protect the perpetrators that include Mnangagwa the chief architect of Matabeleland genocide from facing justice and cover up genocide which is a serious crime against humanity. If the perpetrator remains upunished, a wrong precedent will be set.
Future Shona leaders will be motivated to commit genocide against Matabeles knowing that they would not face any consequences. Tribal hatred between Matabele and Shona people will escalate and continue forever.
In 2018 Mnangagwa appointed an International Commission of Inquiry to prob the killing of 6 Shona civilians that were shot to death by the Zimbabwe National army while protesting the election outcome in Harare.When he announced the commission, Mnangagwa said that “we cannot investigate ourselves”.
But the same government plays investigator, prosecutor, lawyer and judge in the case of Matabeleland genocide.This demonstrates clearly that Shona people are treated as superior citizens of Zimbabwe while Matabeles are treated as unwanted inferiors.
The correct resolution must speak to Shona people that were taught through media and mass rallies that Matabeles were cockroaches to be annihilated using Zimbabwe National Army 5th Brigade.
They celebrated the slaughter of Matabele people carrying placards that cheered up Zimbabwe National Army 5th Brigade.
It must speak to potential genocidists not in Zimbabwe only but in the world to send a chilling message that murdering innocent masses of people because they are of a different tribe or race from yours is a serious and punishable crime against humanity.
As MLO we stand unwaveringly behind our demands i.e restoration of Matabeleland state as at 3 November 1893 and payment of US$100 billion as reparations for Matabeleland genocide, destruction and looting of Matabele properties like homes, vehicles and money from bank accounts during Matabeleland genocide and plundering of Matabeleland resources in the last 42 years.
We further demand that treason charges and warrent of arrest against MLO President, Cde Paul Siwela, be withdrawn with immediate effect. Mnangagwa must engage Cde Paul Siwela in a peaceful dialogue and resolve the above issues to avoid the spill of blood in Matabeleland and Zimbabwe. Advocating for the restoration of Matabeleland independence and sovereignty is not a crime.
We do not want anything to do with Zimbabwe because we are not Zimbabweans. We are humiliated to be called Zimbabweans whatever that means. Trust is a luxury that we cannot afford at this point in Matabeleland.
Zimbabwe of liars, corrupt thieves, murderers, coup plotters, tribal oppressors and witches. Zimbabwe of poverty and political chaos. We want out of it as soon as possible!