Nomazulu Thata, not all Mthwakazi women are scared of their freedom like you

As I put this piece together in response to your article that appeared on Bulawayo 24 news on 18 September  2018, I'm shocked as to why you tremble in fear of freedom to the point of inviting others to join you in the wilderness of the frightened.

That man who believes that Ndebeles are cockroaches, Emmerson Mnangagwa, would smile if by any chance, he stumbles into your article. One of the main purposes of 1979 Grand Plan and Matabeleland genocide was to achieve a psychological effect such as what you have reflected in your article. Their intention was to see a submissive and fear stricken Ndebele who is afraid even to cough without the permission of a Shona person. Too afraid to  express her/his political views and too frightened to fight for their independence. In short your alarmist strategy plays into the hands of the oppressor.

Behind every successful man there is a strong woman. Behind every successful
independence struggle there are strong women.

In Africa there are many women who had children but participated in the struggle without fear and became heroines.

In South Africa we had Mama Winie Madikizela Mandela. Just imagine if she had told Nelson Mandela to stop fighting against apartheid regime for the reason that he were "putting the lives of women and her children at risk", and Mandela listened to her, what would have happened?

I am afraid, apartheid would still be alive and kicking in SA right now.

Winnie Madikizela Mandela's children Zinzi, her sisters and other children in SA would still be studying the  inferior Bantu education that only prepares them to dig gardens or serve tea  to  white people, while top lucrative jobs are taken by white people.

Winnie saw apartheid for what it was, a social and political injustice against her own children and South Africans as a whole. She joined the struggle and fought fearlessly such that when Mandela was arrested and jailed at
Robin Island, she continued with the struggle and was in and out of South African jails as well. History has it that she was the most feared ANC activist by the apartheid government. Her children abo Zinzi and others have now grown up to be successful business people in a free South Africa, a human right that they were denied by the apartheid regime. And all South Africans are free and happy and some have even forgotten that there was apartheid. Independence did not come easy and we do not expect Mthwakazi independence to be served on a silver platter.

In Mthwakazi we have our own heroines like Thenjiwe Lesabe who joined the struggle to fight colonialism. Imagine what would have happened if Mama Mafuyane had stopped uMdala wethu   uJoshua Nkomo from waging war against white minority oppression?

In our neighbouring country, Zimbabwe we have oMai Mujuru who not only joined their husbands oSolomon Mujuru in the trenches but it's said she also  downed a plane. She was not called Teurai Ropa for nothing. Are you aware of this story?

Unfortunately for Zimbabwe power fell into the hands of the cruel, greedy, tribal haters, corrupt and oppressive. They have taken the country back to stone age. Mthwakazi is now in a worse state under shona majority oppression than it was under white minority oppression.

You, Nomazulu Thata of all people, why are you ringing alarm bells to scare Matabeleland women and discourage them from participating in the revolution that will deliver independence to them and their offspring? If white minority oppression was crushed why not squash  majority  Shona oppression since it is worse than white minority rule. Surely our own Mthwakazi activists like Presia Ngulube of MRP, Isiphithiphithi SikaMthwakazi, umama u Tees Maus, Magugu Khumalo of MLF, Prudence JZ Moyo, Patricia Tshabalala and many others who have seen the light will not listen to you.They will denounce such dangerous,scaremongering that seeks to keep them and their children under permanent oppression.Nomazulu what you suggesting is not only an insult to our strong n brave women but also dangerous and misleading, it also stinks of who you are. Be asured, you  won't succeed in your shenanigans.

All those above mentioned Mthwakazi heroines have experienced the difficulties of raising their children in an oppressive Zimbabwe environment first hand. It is painful to raise a kid that is condemned to second class citizen at childbirth based on tribal lines. A child that would be alienated and marginalised educationally, politically, socially and economically. Skipping the border to face crocodiles, lions and xenophobia being the only choice as they are discriminated against at the labour market in the country they call theirs.

These brave women will not hide in the kitchen in fear and wait to demand women's quota  in a Mthwakazi parliament. They are there in the trenches fighting for independence side by side with men because what men can do they can do also.  They have the right to fight for their independence without hindrance, so is everyone except you, unless there's someone dragging to the struggle for freedom which you  fear so much.

Last but not least. Did you really say "calling for secession is not in the best interest of Matabeleland"?  What then is?  Staying in Zimbabwe to suffer the permanent pain of tribal oppression, marginalisation, domination, genocide, rape and economic mismanagement?

Nomazulu, the letter is clearly written. It's not addressed to Nomazulu Thata. I suggest you give chance to those addressed to respond.

 Wathint'aBafazi Wathint' imbokodo!

Khohliso Maqhoba, can also be contacted on email address: khohlijam@gmail.com