News / Regional
Mugabe's CIO blocks Rhodes exhumation in Matopo
25 Mar 2015 at 08:18hrs | Views
Remains of Zimbabwe's colonial master, Cecil John Rhodes got an unlikely help when members of the dreaded CIO blocked Zanu PF members from exhuming them at Matopos National Park in Matabeleland South.
CIO said the exhumation will hurt tourism.
Rhodes, an architect of colonisation in several African countries, made his fortune in South Africa's diamond mines before moving north to establish Rhodesia.
He died in 1902 in Cape Town but was buried in Matopo.
The youths were pushing for Rhodes' grave in the Matopo Hills to be dug up, in solidarity with University of Cape Town students who want the statue of the British imperialist to be removed from the institution.
According to Southern Eye, the state security agents told the Zanu PF youths during a meeting held at the party's Davis Hall offices on Tuesday to abort their plans, as it was not beneficial to anyone, but would just hurt tourism.
"We are no longer going ahead with plans to exhume his grave," a party youth said on condition of anonymity.
"We were made to understand that this move was not beneficial at a time when the government is busy promoting tourism" the publication.
Speculation was rife before the meeting that the youths would get the go-ahead to dig up Rhodes' grave, a popular sentiment for some Zanu PF supporters.
Zanu PF activist and former commissar for Masotsha Ndlovu district, Zweli Malinga, had argued at the weekend that Rhodes' grave was a symbol of celebrating white colonialism and "we cannot stand seeing whites coming from abroad every day to honour and conduct rituals before their ancestor who is here buried on our own land".
"We were made to understand that this move was not beneficial at a time when the government is busy promoting tourism."
"We were made to understand that this move was not beneficial at a time when the government is busy promoting tourism."
Cain Mathema, then Bulawayo governor and now Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister, supported this argument, saying Rhodes' remains were to blame for the lack of rains in Matobo.
CIO said the exhumation will hurt tourism.
Rhodes, an architect of colonisation in several African countries, made his fortune in South Africa's diamond mines before moving north to establish Rhodesia.
He died in 1902 in Cape Town but was buried in Matopo.
The youths were pushing for Rhodes' grave in the Matopo Hills to be dug up, in solidarity with University of Cape Town students who want the statue of the British imperialist to be removed from the institution.
According to Southern Eye, the state security agents told the Zanu PF youths during a meeting held at the party's Davis Hall offices on Tuesday to abort their plans, as it was not beneficial to anyone, but would just hurt tourism.
"We were made to understand that this move was not beneficial at a time when the government is busy promoting tourism" the publication.
Speculation was rife before the meeting that the youths would get the go-ahead to dig up Rhodes' grave, a popular sentiment for some Zanu PF supporters.
Zanu PF activist and former commissar for Masotsha Ndlovu district, Zweli Malinga, had argued at the weekend that Rhodes' grave was a symbol of celebrating white colonialism and "we cannot stand seeing whites coming from abroad every day to honour and conduct rituals before their ancestor who is here buried on our own land".
"We were made to understand that this move was not beneficial at a time when the government is busy promoting tourism."
"We were made to understand that this move was not beneficial at a time when the government is busy promoting tourism."
Cain Mathema, then Bulawayo governor and now Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister, supported this argument, saying Rhodes' remains were to blame for the lack of rains in Matobo.
Source - Southern Eye
