Opinion / Columnist
Nathan Shamuyarira: author of the 1979 Grand Plan Document?
06 Jun 2014 at 10:37hrs | Views
The death of one Nathan Shamuyarira marks a turning point in the history of Zimbabwe's political dynamics. It is a well known fact that Shamuyarira was a polarizing and toxic figure within the Zim political landscape. Political eyebrows in certain parts of the country, particularly in Matebeleland would have been raised by the news of his sudden death pursuant to what is believed to have been a very long ailment.
One would recall that Shamuyarira was widely believed, and, alleged to be the author of the toxic and dangerous so-called 1979 Grand Plan document that formally provided a blueprint for the subsequent golgothisation of Matebeleland, the scorched earth policy and the Gukurahundi campaign applied by the Zanu-Pf government in Matebeleland that decimated in excess of 20 000 God-fearing and defenceless villagers.
The question which arises of course is what is the source of such outrageous claims? Fortunately the answer is to be found in the subsequent document called: "Progress Review of the 1979 Grand Plan Document". The authors inadvertently let the cat out of the proverbial bag by asserting that:
"We must not forget what Nathan Shamuyarira once observed in the 1979 Grand Plan "The only way to weaken the Ndebele is to deprive him of an education".
There you have it. The above quotation is an extract from the review document and it is quoting what Shamuyarira is alleged to have said in the 1979 original document. Curiously, it is significant that when this review document came out, the Zanu-Pf government never really made an effort to get to the bottom of its origin other than a cursory dismissal of it which was issued through none other than Nathan Shamuyarira where he made reference to the fact that president Mugabe has Ndebele relatives within his family since his father was married to a MaTshuma from from Matebeleland. It is significant that he Shamuyarira did not unequivocally and unambiguously deny or refute ever writing the 1979 Grand Plan Document.
One would recall that Shamuyarira was widely believed, and, alleged to be the author of the toxic and dangerous so-called 1979 Grand Plan document that formally provided a blueprint for the subsequent golgothisation of Matebeleland, the scorched earth policy and the Gukurahundi campaign applied by the Zanu-Pf government in Matebeleland that decimated in excess of 20 000 God-fearing and defenceless villagers.
"We must not forget what Nathan Shamuyarira once observed in the 1979 Grand Plan "The only way to weaken the Ndebele is to deprive him of an education".
There you have it. The above quotation is an extract from the review document and it is quoting what Shamuyarira is alleged to have said in the 1979 original document. Curiously, it is significant that when this review document came out, the Zanu-Pf government never really made an effort to get to the bottom of its origin other than a cursory dismissal of it which was issued through none other than Nathan Shamuyarira where he made reference to the fact that president Mugabe has Ndebele relatives within his family since his father was married to a MaTshuma from from Matebeleland. It is significant that he Shamuyarira did not unequivocally and unambiguously deny or refute ever writing the 1979 Grand Plan Document.
Source - Mncumbatha
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