Correspondent|SECESSIONIST Mthwakazi Republic Party (M11RP) has embarked on a bid to secure 20 000 signatures in the next month to petition the government, the African Union and United Nations to allow the restoration of the Mthwakazi kingdom.
The party also intends to petition neighbouring countries, the British government as well as the Queen of England.
Speaking at the launch of the petition at the Bulawayo Media Centre Monday, party president Mqondisi Moyo said the controversial move was inspired by UN resolutions minority groups must be afforded their autonomy and self-determination.
He said the UN position called for self-determination of all minority groups whose human rights were being denied and their dignity trampled on by majority ethnic groups anywhere in the world.
“We are a proud and law-abiding nation Kingdom that was established by King Mzilikazi Khumalo bringing together many ethnic groups and creating a sense of singular nationhood amongst them, that he then called Mthwakazi kingdom state.
“The colonisation of our state was never associated with that of Mashonaland or Zimbabwe as we were still a sovereign state at the time this region of Southern Africa was colonised in 1890.
“Therefore, our decolonisation could not have synchronised and associated with that of Mashonaland or Zimbabwe,” reads part of the petition.
Moyo accused the British government of fighting against the Mthwakazi Kingdom’s restoration cause.
“The British Crown also legalised the continued occupation of our kingdom state illegally by proclaiming the Matabeleland Order-in-Council on the 19th of July 1894 where it was claimed that our kingdom has been broken and replaced by a better system. Such a declaration was racist and false,” the petition also reads.
Moyo said the party intends to have secured the signatures by the end of April this year.
“We will be moving door to door securing the signatures from our membership. So far, we have already secured 1 504 signatures from our members in the diaspora. We are confident that we will reach our target,” added Moyo.
According to Moyo, the Mthwakazi kingdom is made up of Aba-Thwa, San, Asians , Chewa , Nyanja, coloureds, BaKalanga, Karanga of Mthwakazi , Nambya , Nguni , Shangwe , Dhombe Sotho, Tonga , Tswana, BaVenda, BaLemba, BaSankwe , BaHlengwe, White African and Xhosa tribes.