Invasion of Dabengwa's farm is an insult to ZAPU and Matebeleland

ZANU PF aggressive activities of twenty men and women armed with axes, knives and sticks invaded Rudy farm on the peripheral of Cowdray Park and Luveve owned by ZAPU leader Dumiso Dabengwa on 5th August 2014. The principal goal is to provoke violence, intimidate, victimize and destabilize ZAPU, its leader and the general population of Matabeleland.

The invaders want to see Cde Dumiso Dabengwa abandon his private property that he bought with his own resources or face the consequence of death in their hands. The Zimbabwe Republic police have for reasons known to them decided not to take any action against the invaders for breaking the law by trespassing into private property. As expected, ZANU PF denies any knowledge of the invaders or sanctioning of the activities of these invaders and have not gone to instruct their invaders to withdraw from the farm.  When the dogs go loose it won't be long to see the owner following behind. Time will tell.

The general logic is that there is a political hand in the events taking place a Rudy Farm. The behavior has nothing to do with the redistribution of land but it is all about political strategy. ZANU PF wants to remind ZAPU and Matabeleland of the years of Gukurahundi genocide, victimization of former ZAPU President Joshua Nkomo , imprisonment of former ZIPRA commanders  Cde Dumiso Dabengwa and Cde Lookout Masuku. Unfortunately Cde Lookout Masuku died in Zimbabwe prison in the hands of ZANU PF agents. The plan was to make Matabeleland a concentration zone symbolic to NAZI concentration camp to decapitate ZAPU leadership; separate families by  displacement; and liquidation of human & private resources, killing men, women and children, and destroying their properties respectively.

ZAPU and people of Matebeleland do not have any positive experiences of ZANU PF rule. The people in Matabeleland generally feel vulnerable particularly to the effects of the Matabeleland Gukurahundi invasion sponsored by ZANU PF. The prevailing ideology and interpretation held by people of Matabeleland of the Gukurahundi genocide and now the invasion of Cde Dumiso  Dabengwa is that of suppression of one tribe by the other; an act of ethnic cleansing and desire for political dominance and control by ZANU PF. The Ndebele people now feel under siege, intense scrutiny and feel pressured to conform to ZANU PF expectations, and these feelings are sometimes overwhelming.  Matabeles feel a need to guard themselves and withhold trust by bottling up powerful emotions of their treatment during the Gukurahundi genocide.  The onslaught has continued in many different forms to include relative economic and social marginalisation of the region.

Freedom has become the greatest problem for people of Zimbabwe. Cde Dumiso  Dabengwa and ZAPU are simply exercising their constitutional, political and democratic rights. The fear of loss of influence by ZANU PF to ZAPU effectively obstructs the positive thinking by ZANU PF of the rewards of political co-habitation. The invasion of Cde Dumiso Dabengwa's farm is an act of destruction and violence driven by the fear of loss of influence and power to ZAPU.

It is hard to conceive how Cde Dumiso Dabengwa's heroism during the liberation struggle of independence can be taken away from him. If cde Dumiso Dabengwa is not a hero no one else is in Zimbabwe. That declaration for him is not even required. Victimizing him only serves to elevate his heroic status. The best ZANU PF can do is to instruct their people to move out of Cde Dumiso Dabengwa's farm because the interpretation is that ZANU PF continues to display political immaturity which is no longer consistent with modern politics.

Different political analysts have proffered different explanations to the invasion, Mr Nkala based in the UK stated that this may be part of the ZANU PF succession politics as will be remembered that President Mugabe has begged Dr Dumiso Dabengwa and other liberation heroes to come back to ZANU, but Dr Dabengwa publicly refused to be part of ZANU PF. His refusal may have riled, humiliated and upsetted Mr Mugabe and his colleagues' succession plans. Dr Dabengwa has made clear pronouncements that he will never go back to ZANU PF even if offered the President post.

Mr Dube, based in SA said that this is a reminder to the people of Matebeleland by ZANU PF that they are a vanquished people, a vulnerable people whose livelihood and security needs are dependent on its perennial enemy, which is ZANU PF.

Regardless of the explanations given, the baseline or bottomline is that ZANU PF is keen and prepared to continue misbehaving, being law unto itself and abusing citizens of Zimbabwe with impunity. This cannot be allowed to continue, Zimbabweans from all walks of life deserve to be respected and protected by law equally. If the law enforcing agents in the country willfully ignore their responsibility of protecting citizens then people should protect themselves.

It is unacceptable for a man of Dabengwa's stature to be humiliated by these rag tag ZANU PF youth militias, such as Tariro Magovanyika; Mark Mukotami and their group. It seems there are no property rights in Zimbabwe, Dr Dabengwa stated that he bought his farm before the reckless land invasions of year 2000s.

Mr Mthwetha is the ZAPU Europe Secretary for Policy and Strategy and also belongs to the Inform Team, a technical information team of Information, Publicity and Marketing Portfolio. He heads the Marketing sub-committee.