Matebeleland land urged to shun emotional politics

PEOPLE occupying leadership positions in Zanu-PF should interact with people at the grassroots to get an appreciation of the situation on the ground, the party's National Political Commissar Victor Matemadanda has said. He said leaders should ensure that people in the lower structures participate in party programmes.

"We have this weakness of leaders interacting at a certain level and they don't go to other levels, which is dangerous in politics, especially for Zanu-PF because it's a mass party. It has to have the grassroots people actively involved," he said.

Matemadanda also said people from Matabeleland should shun emotional politics and concentrate on taking up influential positions in the party to bring development to the region. He said it was high time people from Matabeleland followed the footsteps of visionaries such as King Lobengula, King Mzilikazi and Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo, who were iconic politicians with no history of failure.

"Ndebele people must spearhead our political revolution because it was started by their ancestors. Matabeleland region should be economically uplifted by giving people from here influential positions so that they help to develop this area. This is what President Mnangagwa is doing but unfortunately people from this region  don't see it.  

"Instead they're allowing themselves to be used in emotional politics by the MDC Alliance," said Matemadanda in an interview in Bulawayo on Wednesday.

Matemadanda, who had spent the day with party youths in Filabusi, said they told him that they were not interested in politics because they felt it was alien. He said Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube's appointment was something to be celebrated by people in Matabeleland.

"Our Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube comes from Lupane but people from this region do not see an opportunity in that. They would rather be mobilised by people from Harare to demonstrate against him," said Matemadanda.

"They only see him as a Zanu-PF appointed Minister, which is unfortunate. There are many things which Government has done and is doing and people are not capitalising on that not because of their will but they're mobilised by foreign people to destroy themselves."

"Bulawayo was the most affected by the violent January demonstrations organised by people from outside the city. People have to be educated on such issues so that they do not engage in destructive politics," he said.

Historically and traditionally, Matemadanda said, it is the people from  Matabeleland who must be more active in Zanu-PF politics especially the Ngunis.

"These are people that came here under the Mzilikazi and Lobengula leadership. Mzilikazi and Lobengula were leaders with no history of failing or selling out their own people. They had a culture of resisting colonial rule, that is why Lobengula got killed.

"Our own ancestors from Masvingo and other parts of the country, came to work in the armies run by Lobengula and some adopted Ndebele names. My own grandfather was called Mbizo. It's a name he got while serving under the King and we don't regret that service because it was worth it. Even most prominent politicians of the second Chimurenga came from Matabeleland South," said Matemadanda.  

He said King Lobengula didn't die a natural death but died under hot pursuit by the white colonisers, which should make a mark and starting point for Nguni and Ndebele politics because their King was a politician.

"He was not a tribal King. He understood and appreciated that by being a King he should get support from other tribes. As for Dr Nkomo, no one person who met him would say he was tribal.

"When the spirit of Lobengula came to fight back, I think it did not find many suitable Nguni people to fight on his behalf.  

"My conviction is that the spirit went to Matabeleland South and identified the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo. You could see that his movements were spiritual," said Matemadanda.  He said one thing he loves about the Ndebele people was their respect for culture.

"If you look at the social media, the abusive people are from Mashonaland. You won't find Ndebele people abusing others except for a few such as Jonathan Moyo," he said.