News / Regional
Njelele 'renegades' warned - Zanu-PF
18 May 2012 at 04:19hrs | Views
ZANU-PF has warned people who recently visited Njelele shrine masquerading as war veterans and conducted unsanctioned rituals to stop visiting the place forthwith or face the full wrath of the law.
Njelele shrine is situated in Matobo District in Matabeleland South.
In a letter addressed to Chief Malaba, the chairman of chiefs in Matabeleland South Province yesterday, Zanu-PF National Chairman Simon Khaya Moyo said the issue was brought to the attention of President Mugabe during Zanu-PF's extra-ordinary Politburo meeting in Harare on Wednesday.
"I can emphatically state in no uncertain terms that the unsanctioned visit to Njelele sacred shrine was on Wednesday, 16 May 2012, brought to the attention of His Excellency President Mugabe and the Politburo at an extra-ordinary meeting," said Khaya Moyo.
He said the revolutionary party distanced itself from the unsanctioned visitors, describing them as misguided hooligans bent on destroying the country's cultural values.
"This is a very serious and disgraceful matter bordering on uncultured conduct of the highest order. No one can just walk into any chief's area and do as they please. There are established norms and procedures to be followed and respected. The party, Zanu-PF, disowns such hooligans and calls on all those who have undertaken such disgusting activities at Njelele sacred shrine to stop forthwith or else the law enforcement agencies will take stern action on them. Such behaviour stands condemnable," said Khaya Moyo.
"The position of the party, Zanu-PF, is that this matter has no room for discussion but to stop forthwith. This must never be viewed as an empty threat, for those involved will indeed face the full wrath of the law. Those who have no respect for our traditional leaders and our culture are not only misguided people but agents of those against our established cultural values."
Khaya Moyo applauded chiefs from Matabeleland South for standing their ground in condemning unruly elements in society and said Zanu-PF was in full support of their stance.
Said Khaya Moyo: "We stand by you, our honourable chiefs, and the entire traditional leadership. The party also wishes to assure our respected chiefs that we are together in your noble efforts in leading our people with such admirable wisdom and vision. Together we cannot fail to weed our society of such bad and rotten elements."
Khaya Moyo, however, apologised that he would not be able to attend the chiefs' Monday meeting, as he will be outside the country.
"I am extremely sorry that I am now unable to attend as His Excellency President Mugabe has sent me on a mission outside the country," he said.
On Wednesday war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda also condemned the unsanctioned visitors and described them as disrespectful renegades and liars.
He distanced his association from the group and said as an organisation they did not have such a programme.
Sibanda said war veterans were people who held traditional leaders in high esteem and would not dare conduct any rituals without their approval.
The sentiments by the country's senior leadership comes amid displeasure by villagers and chiefs from Matabeleland South who felt the development was undermining their authority and causing commotion in the province.
Bulawayo residents have also expressed concern over the issue with some suggesting that the group should have been arrested.
The police have said they were monitoring the issue closely to ensure that it was not a threat to public peace.
The chiefs met in Esigodini on Monday where they expressed displeasure over the issue and resolved to hold a meeting on Monday where they will invite the president of the Chiefs' Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, and his deputy Chief Mtshana Khumalo of Bubi.
They also agreed to invite Khaya Moyo and Sibanda since the issue involved allegations against Zanu-PF and war veterans.
On Tuesday Chief Charumbira confirmed receiving the letters from Chief Masendu of Bulilima district who was asked to deliver the letters.
Last month the chiefs met in Esigodini and condemned the visit to the shrine without their approval as custodians of cultural values.
It is the chiefs' contention that on three different occasions, a group of unknown people numbering about 750, 650 and 150 surreptitiously visited Njelele shrine and forced their way in and conducted some cleansing rituals without the knowledge and approval of the local traditional leadership.
The chiefs said anyone was allowed to visit Njelele as long as he or she followed proper channels.
Matabeleland South Governor and Resident Minister, Angeline Masuku, who also attended the meeting, said there was a need to deal with the matter urgently.
The chiefs said the group visited the shrine at the wrong time of the year, which might anger the gods. Others said the development was a deliberate ploy to undermine the Ndebele traditional leadership and their culture.
It is alleged that the group of visitors went to Mozambique sometime ago where they toured places where liberation war fighters died and were buried during the liberation struggle.
The group reportedly picked up some stones from the mass graves, which they brought to Njelele intending to conduct cleansing rituals as they claimed to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.
Njelele shrine is situated in Matobo District in Matabeleland South.
In a letter addressed to Chief Malaba, the chairman of chiefs in Matabeleland South Province yesterday, Zanu-PF National Chairman Simon Khaya Moyo said the issue was brought to the attention of President Mugabe during Zanu-PF's extra-ordinary Politburo meeting in Harare on Wednesday.
"I can emphatically state in no uncertain terms that the unsanctioned visit to Njelele sacred shrine was on Wednesday, 16 May 2012, brought to the attention of His Excellency President Mugabe and the Politburo at an extra-ordinary meeting," said Khaya Moyo.
He said the revolutionary party distanced itself from the unsanctioned visitors, describing them as misguided hooligans bent on destroying the country's cultural values.
"This is a very serious and disgraceful matter bordering on uncultured conduct of the highest order. No one can just walk into any chief's area and do as they please. There are established norms and procedures to be followed and respected. The party, Zanu-PF, disowns such hooligans and calls on all those who have undertaken such disgusting activities at Njelele sacred shrine to stop forthwith or else the law enforcement agencies will take stern action on them. Such behaviour stands condemnable," said Khaya Moyo.
"The position of the party, Zanu-PF, is that this matter has no room for discussion but to stop forthwith. This must never be viewed as an empty threat, for those involved will indeed face the full wrath of the law. Those who have no respect for our traditional leaders and our culture are not only misguided people but agents of those against our established cultural values."
Khaya Moyo applauded chiefs from Matabeleland South for standing their ground in condemning unruly elements in society and said Zanu-PF was in full support of their stance.
Said Khaya Moyo: "We stand by you, our honourable chiefs, and the entire traditional leadership. The party also wishes to assure our respected chiefs that we are together in your noble efforts in leading our people with such admirable wisdom and vision. Together we cannot fail to weed our society of such bad and rotten elements."
Khaya Moyo, however, apologised that he would not be able to attend the chiefs' Monday meeting, as he will be outside the country.
"I am extremely sorry that I am now unable to attend as His Excellency President Mugabe has sent me on a mission outside the country," he said.
On Wednesday war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda also condemned the unsanctioned visitors and described them as disrespectful renegades and liars.
He distanced his association from the group and said as an organisation they did not have such a programme.
Sibanda said war veterans were people who held traditional leaders in high esteem and would not dare conduct any rituals without their approval.
The sentiments by the country's senior leadership comes amid displeasure by villagers and chiefs from Matabeleland South who felt the development was undermining their authority and causing commotion in the province.
Bulawayo residents have also expressed concern over the issue with some suggesting that the group should have been arrested.
The police have said they were monitoring the issue closely to ensure that it was not a threat to public peace.
The chiefs met in Esigodini on Monday where they expressed displeasure over the issue and resolved to hold a meeting on Monday where they will invite the president of the Chiefs' Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, and his deputy Chief Mtshana Khumalo of Bubi.
They also agreed to invite Khaya Moyo and Sibanda since the issue involved allegations against Zanu-PF and war veterans.
On Tuesday Chief Charumbira confirmed receiving the letters from Chief Masendu of Bulilima district who was asked to deliver the letters.
Last month the chiefs met in Esigodini and condemned the visit to the shrine without their approval as custodians of cultural values.
It is the chiefs' contention that on three different occasions, a group of unknown people numbering about 750, 650 and 150 surreptitiously visited Njelele shrine and forced their way in and conducted some cleansing rituals without the knowledge and approval of the local traditional leadership.
The chiefs said anyone was allowed to visit Njelele as long as he or she followed proper channels.
Matabeleland South Governor and Resident Minister, Angeline Masuku, who also attended the meeting, said there was a need to deal with the matter urgently.
The chiefs said the group visited the shrine at the wrong time of the year, which might anger the gods. Others said the development was a deliberate ploy to undermine the Ndebele traditional leadership and their culture.
It is alleged that the group of visitors went to Mozambique sometime ago where they toured places where liberation war fighters died and were buried during the liberation struggle.
The group reportedly picked up some stones from the mass graves, which they brought to Njelele intending to conduct cleansing rituals as they claimed to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.
Source - TC
