MRP blasts media for calling it Secessionist party

Mthwakazi Republic Party has said it is increasingly becoming aware of the deliberate and myopic behavior and attitude of the press towards the party.

Mqondisi Ndebele MRP National Chairperson said it is practically and contextually clear that Restorationism and Secessionism do not represent the same meaning, hence the need to differentiate the two.

He said secession is when a group of people decides for whatever reason to divide a unitary state or a united state into two or more countries.

"The leaders of such an act are therefore called secessionists. It is important to note that in secessionism there is pursuance of what was never there before, which laterally means creating a new state within a state. It is clearly not the case with Mthwakazi and Mthwakazi Republic Party "MRP" he said.

"Restoration is what Mthwakazi and MRP, as her political vehicle are championing, hence the fitting reference to us as Restorationists. Restoration has mainly to do with correcting the past mishaps. It involves taking back that which would have acquired illegally in the past. In our case as Mthwakazi, we are justified based on evidence to claim back our political, economical, cultural and territorial space that was stolen from us by Mugabe's regime."

He said Mthwakazi which Include Matebeleland and Midlands regions is a Nation and a state that existed before, this state was recognised as a state by the United Nations through the resolutions made at the Berlin conference, until 1923 when the colonial government of Matabeleland and Mashonaland decided to merge the two states without the consent of the owners of the land.

"Matabeleland as it is legally known has its known boundaries signed for between 1887 and 1891 two years before being colonized after a fierce fight between the BSAC's terrorist army and the King Lobengula's warriors. That battle left more than six thousand of the warriors dead as well as more than 12 000 civilians, including women and children," he said.

"The four known boundaries signed for by King Lobhengula are;The Limpopo River border that separates Mthwakazi from South Africa, Ramoqaubane border that separates Mthwakazi from Bostwana, Zambezi River border that separates Mthwakazi with Zambia and finally the contested border, otherwise known as Jameson line that separates Mashonaland (Zimbabwe) with us Matabeleland (Mthwakazi)."

He said MRP therefore insists that with the above scenarios it is frivolous and vexatious to call us a secessionist movement.

"We are not and we are justified considering the persistent marginalization of our people, the Gukurahundi genocide and underdevelopment. Our misery was also compounded by the yet to be removed Rule by Conquest law, of the British. The unleashing of a Genocide on Midlands and Matebeleland was further justification that Zimbabwe was attacking another state," he said.

"If Zimbabwe is a unitary, democratic and sovereign republic as insinuated by Shona people, there would be no need to buttress it as a forced statutory instrument, because it is known that it was a forced arrangement, first by the British and secondly by the Shonas in 1980. This is reflected on chapter 1 on Founding Provisions, page 16. It is there for unreasonable to deny the people of Matebeleland the devolution of power that they lobbied for during the constitutional making process and as reflected in the current national constitution. The latest blow is Patrick Chinamasa's announcement of their intended move to abolish it."