Zanu-PF promotes tribalism in disguise

This is where it all began! The article below appeared in the Zimbabwe Review, Vol 1, No. 7, December 1963 - The Official ZAPU Organ, printed by the Publicity and Information Bureau of the Zimbabwe African Peoples' Union (ZAPU) in Dar-se-Salaam.

Source: Zimbabwe Review, Vol 1, No. 7, December 1963. Publicity and Information Bureau of the Zimbabwe African Peoples' Union (ZAPU)

"Having collapsed on the political front, it is reported from Salisbury that ZANU is now intending to intensify tribalism under the guise of Mashona clubs.

One club is said to have been formed in Salisbury named Mashona United Front under the chairmanship of a certain Zuidzayi. Zuidzayi is said to be a member of ZANU and was instigated by Sithole to form this club which shall be used to recruit the Mashonas into ZANU.

The official philosophy of the club is said to be trabalism and it is believed that Sithole goes about telling people that Mashonas form the majority of the African population and therefore the first Prime Minister of free Zimbabwe should be Shona.

We view this as a fantastic and highest state of lunacy. We in Zimbabwe have never had any problems as a result of tribalism even before the settlers came to invade our country. Our people used to live in any part of Zimbabwe and enter inter-tribal marriages without any difficulties.

When the entire people of Zimbabwe launched a military clearance operation against the white settler in 1893 to 1896, they had one aim - of driving the settlers out of Zimbabwe.

Now let us look at this theory and see where it came from. When we in Zimbabwe started organising Nationalists movements, the white settlers were the first to say the Africans live in tribal groups, therefore they cannot rule the country because the country will be reversed to primitive tribalism.

All this nonsense Sithole is trying to instigate into our people has once been said by settlers. Sithole is merely being used as a settler tool just because he poses as a tribal tycoon."

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