News / National
Masuku slams hero worship culture
12 Dec 2017 at 05:19hrs | Views
ZANU-PF members should desist from creating gods out of their leaders through hero worshipping them, a liberation war stalwart and minister said yesterday.
In an interview, Zanu-PF's National Consultative Assembly member, Angeline Masuku, said party supporters are partly to blame for divisions that rocked the party in the recent past.
Masuku who is also the new Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo said candid talk could have ended Zanu-PF factionalism before it got out of hand.
She said leaders in the party were being blinded by hero worshipping which should now stop.
"We are to blame (for what was happening). People should stop singing songs that glorify a leader. We should work together. I recently stopped women from singing to me saying "Nxa umama ekhona konke kulungile." We should be collective "Nxa omama bekhona konke kulungile".
"Those individual praises create gods out of leaders yet leaders are part of the people. We're to blame because a leader does not praise himself or herself, it's us who shower him or her with praises. I wish you could emphasise this, when a leader has been appointed, our people should stop destroying the leader by giving him or her praises to an extent that he or she sees himself or herself above the people," said Masuku.
She recalled refusing to apologise to the former First Family after she had challenged Mrs Grace Mugabe to stop insulting party leaders back in 2014.
Masuku said other party leaders persecuted her and cheered when Mrs Mugabe was doing a despicable act.
"If someone utters disrespectful words on elderly people, I don't celebrate. It doesn't amuse me. Our culture doesn't allow us to do that but Zimbabweans were now cheering that.
"We were being insulted yet Zimbabweans were making loud cheers. When I challenged it saying these things were getting out of hand, our people accused me of insulting an important family hence I was advised to apologise.
"If telling the truth is insulting, then I can't apologise, that's reality. I will never tolerate being insulted by a child no matter their social standing," said Masuku.
"I'm certain that if this thing was corrected from day one, Robert Mugabe who sacrificed a lot for this country could not have been humiliated to the extent of almost being impeached."
She said the party's extraordinary congress to be held in Harare this week should instil discipline in the party.
"There should be discipline in the party which will result in party members joining their hands together to discuss issues to do with economic development instead of gathering in a meeting to discuss who to fire from the party.
"We fought for the liberation of this country, now we should fight to put for economy back on track," she said.
In an interview, Zanu-PF's National Consultative Assembly member, Angeline Masuku, said party supporters are partly to blame for divisions that rocked the party in the recent past.
Masuku who is also the new Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo said candid talk could have ended Zanu-PF factionalism before it got out of hand.
She said leaders in the party were being blinded by hero worshipping which should now stop.
"We are to blame (for what was happening). People should stop singing songs that glorify a leader. We should work together. I recently stopped women from singing to me saying "Nxa umama ekhona konke kulungile." We should be collective "Nxa omama bekhona konke kulungile".
"Those individual praises create gods out of leaders yet leaders are part of the people. We're to blame because a leader does not praise himself or herself, it's us who shower him or her with praises. I wish you could emphasise this, when a leader has been appointed, our people should stop destroying the leader by giving him or her praises to an extent that he or she sees himself or herself above the people," said Masuku.
She recalled refusing to apologise to the former First Family after she had challenged Mrs Grace Mugabe to stop insulting party leaders back in 2014.
Masuku said other party leaders persecuted her and cheered when Mrs Mugabe was doing a despicable act.
"If someone utters disrespectful words on elderly people, I don't celebrate. It doesn't amuse me. Our culture doesn't allow us to do that but Zimbabweans were now cheering that.
"We were being insulted yet Zimbabweans were making loud cheers. When I challenged it saying these things were getting out of hand, our people accused me of insulting an important family hence I was advised to apologise.
"If telling the truth is insulting, then I can't apologise, that's reality. I will never tolerate being insulted by a child no matter their social standing," said Masuku.
"I'm certain that if this thing was corrected from day one, Robert Mugabe who sacrificed a lot for this country could not have been humiliated to the extent of almost being impeached."
She said the party's extraordinary congress to be held in Harare this week should instil discipline in the party.
"There should be discipline in the party which will result in party members joining their hands together to discuss issues to do with economic development instead of gathering in a meeting to discuss who to fire from the party.
"We fought for the liberation of this country, now we should fight to put for economy back on track," she said.
Source - chronicle
