News / Religion
'Hostility between Shonas and Ndebeles should stop' - Churches urged
03 May 2017 at 21:20hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Christian Council (ZCC) held a 3 day constitutional awareness education workshop in Bulawayo at the United Methodist Church (Bulawayo East Bethel), which ended on Wednesday (today).
Hundreds of people were in attendance and were educated on a number of constitutional issues.
The day before (on Tuesday), a ZESN officer identified as Ndlovu, taught the people on elections, including the right to vote.
People requested for a healing process to prevail between tribes, especially between the Ndebele and Shona people who still have not effectively dealt with Gukurahundi, a thorn in the flesh among the two tribes.
One speaker said: "The healing process should start in church. We know there is hostility between the Shona and Ndebele, which is passed from generation to generation. This should be stopped.
"The distribution of civil servants should be based on tribal grounds those from Matabeleland should work there, Manicaland and Mashonaland like wise.
"It is very offensive to be greeted in Shona at roadblocks for example in Matabeleland yet I am Ndebele. Government should deal with that problem."
However, the notion was received with mixed feelings by others in the audience who argued that communities were failing to produce educated people hence the government should just give people jobs without any discretion on tribe.
"The government should just treat people as equal. Yes there were differences before, but that should be put under the carpet. We are Christians above all. Forgiving and forgetting is the motto to go for a better Zimbabwe," suggested one pastor.
The issue of Gukurahundi should not be underestimated as there are still very strong feelings in every generation even though many may not want to talk about it.
Hundreds of people were in attendance and were educated on a number of constitutional issues.
The day before (on Tuesday), a ZESN officer identified as Ndlovu, taught the people on elections, including the right to vote.
People requested for a healing process to prevail between tribes, especially between the Ndebele and Shona people who still have not effectively dealt with Gukurahundi, a thorn in the flesh among the two tribes.
One speaker said: "The healing process should start in church. We know there is hostility between the Shona and Ndebele, which is passed from generation to generation. This should be stopped.
"The distribution of civil servants should be based on tribal grounds those from Matabeleland should work there, Manicaland and Mashonaland like wise.
"It is very offensive to be greeted in Shona at roadblocks for example in Matabeleland yet I am Ndebele. Government should deal with that problem."
However, the notion was received with mixed feelings by others in the audience who argued that communities were failing to produce educated people hence the government should just give people jobs without any discretion on tribe.
"The government should just treat people as equal. Yes there were differences before, but that should be put under the carpet. We are Christians above all. Forgiving and forgetting is the motto to go for a better Zimbabwe," suggested one pastor.
The issue of Gukurahundi should not be underestimated as there are still very strong feelings in every generation even though many may not want to talk about it.
Source - Byo24News
