News / Local
'North Korean made' Nkomo statue erected
16 Dec 2013 at 09:23hrs | Views
Government has re-erected what is suspected to be the North Korean - Joshua Nkomo made statue in Bulawayo days before it's unveiling by President Mugabe on Sunday.
The stature was erected around 11am on Sunday.
Home Affairs co-minister Kembo Mohadi made a surprise tour of the site and told reporters that all is set for the big day.
Mohadi, who was a top intelligence officer of Nkomo's PF Zapu party said the statue would be facing northwards.
"The officials erected the statue on Sunday evening. It will be facing north, the direction towards Leopold Takawira Street. This is because it's where the rest of the nation signifying that he (Nkomo) will be watching over the rest of the nation" said Mohadi.
Mohadi refused to say where the statue was made.
He would not be drawn to disclose if it's the controversial North Korean crafted statue it was a different piece.
"All of us will know on Sunday when it's unveiled" he said.
Several unveiling dates have been missed raising doubts if it will ever be erected.
In 2010 the statue was pulled down before its official unveiling following strong objections from the Nkomo family and the Bulawayo community who felt the statue did not capture the exact attributes of Father Zimbabwe and that it was made in North Korea.
North Korea has become an undeclared enemy of the people of Matabeleland since the deployment of the North Korea-trained Fifth Brigade to that region in the early 80s.
The North Korea-trained soldiers massacred more than 20 000 civilians in what has become an unforgettable nightmare to the people of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.
The stature was erected around 11am on Sunday.
Home Affairs co-minister Kembo Mohadi made a surprise tour of the site and told reporters that all is set for the big day.
Mohadi, who was a top intelligence officer of Nkomo's PF Zapu party said the statue would be facing northwards.
"The officials erected the statue on Sunday evening. It will be facing north, the direction towards Leopold Takawira Street. This is because it's where the rest of the nation signifying that he (Nkomo) will be watching over the rest of the nation" said Mohadi.
Mohadi refused to say where the statue was made.
He would not be drawn to disclose if it's the controversial North Korean crafted statue it was a different piece.
"All of us will know on Sunday when it's unveiled" he said.
Several unveiling dates have been missed raising doubts if it will ever be erected.
In 2010 the statue was pulled down before its official unveiling following strong objections from the Nkomo family and the Bulawayo community who felt the statue did not capture the exact attributes of Father Zimbabwe and that it was made in North Korea.
North Korea has become an undeclared enemy of the people of Matabeleland since the deployment of the North Korea-trained Fifth Brigade to that region in the early 80s.
The North Korea-trained soldiers massacred more than 20 000 civilians in what has become an unforgettable nightmare to the people of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.
Source - zimbabwefocus.com
