Opinion / Columnist
Were the police justified stopping Bhalagwe gukurahundi prayer?
22 Oct 2017 at 08:44hrs | Views
Today on the 21/10/2017 the Zimbabwean police stopped or prevented a prayer meeting organised by iBhetshu likaZulu from taking place. Various citizens of Mthwakazi were in attendance including Dr Dabengwa the former Home Affairs minister; Mr Mqondisi Moyo the president of MRP and many others.
Over the years the police have denied iBhetshu likaZulu and other Mthwakazi citizen the right to remember their loved ones who perished during the Matabeleland genocide. This year iBhetshu likaZulu came up with a creative idea of going to Bhalagwe to pray and remember the loved ones who were butchered during the genocide period.
Bhalagwe was one of the notorious concentration camps during the genocide where horrendous and despicable acts of murder and vile torture took place. Many people lost their lives there some became permanently disabled.
Bhalagwe was indeed a befitting place to honour their departed. Under flimsy circumstances and funny legalities the commemorations or prayer gathering was stopped. On the video fully armed police could be seen blocking the way to Bhalagwe, threatening and shouting at the people.
One act which angered many people and was translated to as disrespectful to the murdered and to the living was when Dr Dabengwa was asked to light the candles in a makeshift cemetery, when he was given the matches he attempted to light the candles, however the rabid policeman kicked down all the candles. "Let Dabengwa light the candles, Dabengwa you died long ago" a woman's voice could be heard. Indeed Dabengwa died a long time ago, Dabengwa died during the liberation struggle fighting for this country, he died again when he was arrested and imprisoned after independence for trumped up charges; he died again when Mugabe unleashed genocide against the Mthwakazi people; he died again when under duress ZAPU signed the so called one sided unity accord and he finally died when Mugabe continued to sideline and marginalise the people of Mthwakazi.
The revival of ZAPU around 2008 was Dabengwa's reincarnation and his presence at the Bhalagwe commemorations cemented his resolve to revive and restore the Mthwakazi spirit. Dr Dabengwa is a giant of Mthwakazi politics, hugely respected for his unparalleled contribution during the liberation struggle, but the police treated him like an ordinary man. This shows the disdain with which the Shona police force treats Mthwakazi leaders and Mthwakazi as a whole. The treatment meted on Dabengwa left rancour and anger in many people's hearts and minds. It is now hoped that Dr Dabengwa and ZAPU will now wholly reject the Zimbabwean politics and begin to embrace the Mthwakazi politics, the right politics. ZAPU as a national party in the context of the Zimbabwean politics is a waste of time, however, in Mthwakazi ZAPU can continue as a Mthwakazi national party, however it will have to shed off the ‘Z' and assumes the ‘M' which will transform it to MAPU. It is only when ZAPU rectifies the mistake it did at revival of remaining a Zimbabwean national party instead of becoming a purely Mthwakazi party that ZAPU will remain relevant otherwise it needs to urgently close shop and exit the political theatre.
Organisations such as iBhetshu likaZulu and MRP are to be applauded for a visionary and revolutionary stand, whereby they have fully accepted that Mthwakazi can not continue to be subsumed or submerged into false Zimbabwean state which in truth it is a vampiric Shona state which survives on the blood of Mthwakazi. "Bhalagwe where is my son' these are the words from Moyoxide from his poem dedicated to those who were murdered at Bhalagwe, and today we continue to ask, Bhalagwe where are our loved ones, why are we not permitted to honour our loved ones. When they butchered our loved ones we were not allowed to cry, we were not allowed to mourn their deaths, we were not allowed to perform traditional rites to free their souls, yet today the same people who claim unity at every corner are the same people who killed our people and subjected us to eternity of psychological trauma are still at it denying us to hold a prayer meeting to commemorate our loved ones. Fcuk unity.
Over the years the police have denied iBhetshu likaZulu and other Mthwakazi citizen the right to remember their loved ones who perished during the Matabeleland genocide. This year iBhetshu likaZulu came up with a creative idea of going to Bhalagwe to pray and remember the loved ones who were butchered during the genocide period.
Bhalagwe was one of the notorious concentration camps during the genocide where horrendous and despicable acts of murder and vile torture took place. Many people lost their lives there some became permanently disabled.
One act which angered many people and was translated to as disrespectful to the murdered and to the living was when Dr Dabengwa was asked to light the candles in a makeshift cemetery, when he was given the matches he attempted to light the candles, however the rabid policeman kicked down all the candles. "Let Dabengwa light the candles, Dabengwa you died long ago" a woman's voice could be heard. Indeed Dabengwa died a long time ago, Dabengwa died during the liberation struggle fighting for this country, he died again when he was arrested and imprisoned after independence for trumped up charges; he died again when Mugabe unleashed genocide against the Mthwakazi people; he died again when under duress ZAPU signed the so called one sided unity accord and he finally died when Mugabe continued to sideline and marginalise the people of Mthwakazi.
The revival of ZAPU around 2008 was Dabengwa's reincarnation and his presence at the Bhalagwe commemorations cemented his resolve to revive and restore the Mthwakazi spirit. Dr Dabengwa is a giant of Mthwakazi politics, hugely respected for his unparalleled contribution during the liberation struggle, but the police treated him like an ordinary man. This shows the disdain with which the Shona police force treats Mthwakazi leaders and Mthwakazi as a whole. The treatment meted on Dabengwa left rancour and anger in many people's hearts and minds. It is now hoped that Dr Dabengwa and ZAPU will now wholly reject the Zimbabwean politics and begin to embrace the Mthwakazi politics, the right politics. ZAPU as a national party in the context of the Zimbabwean politics is a waste of time, however, in Mthwakazi ZAPU can continue as a Mthwakazi national party, however it will have to shed off the ‘Z' and assumes the ‘M' which will transform it to MAPU. It is only when ZAPU rectifies the mistake it did at revival of remaining a Zimbabwean national party instead of becoming a purely Mthwakazi party that ZAPU will remain relevant otherwise it needs to urgently close shop and exit the political theatre.
Organisations such as iBhetshu likaZulu and MRP are to be applauded for a visionary and revolutionary stand, whereby they have fully accepted that Mthwakazi can not continue to be subsumed or submerged into false Zimbabwean state which in truth it is a vampiric Shona state which survives on the blood of Mthwakazi. "Bhalagwe where is my son' these are the words from Moyoxide from his poem dedicated to those who were murdered at Bhalagwe, and today we continue to ask, Bhalagwe where are our loved ones, why are we not permitted to honour our loved ones. When they butchered our loved ones we were not allowed to cry, we were not allowed to mourn their deaths, we were not allowed to perform traditional rites to free their souls, yet today the same people who claim unity at every corner are the same people who killed our people and subjected us to eternity of psychological trauma are still at it denying us to hold a prayer meeting to commemorate our loved ones. Fcuk unity.
Source - Thulani Nkala
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