Matabeleland is full of 'talkers, not real solid performers' says Enos Nkala

The man widely accused of spearheading Gukurahundi massacres in the 80s, former Zanu-PF minister Enos Nkala has told FinGaz that Matabeleland is just full of "talkers, not real solid performers" there are no politicians of repute in the region.

Nkala, in whose house ZANU-PF was founded in 1963, said Matabeleland lacked quality and visible leadership hence its dominance by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

In an interview with The Financial Gazette, Nkala claimed the region was marginalised because there were no effective Ndebele leaders in Parliament.

"In Matabeleland there is no one. I just see talkers, not real solid performers. Having degrees does not mean you can deliver the goods. The degrees will remain on the wall. I can see some of them making an attempt at being leaders, but there is no one who is groom-able," he said.

He had no kind words for the premier saying the MDC-T leader had no vision to move the country forward.

"If I die tomorrow, I will die a sad man because of absence of quality and visible leaders in Matabeleland," added Nkala.

His comments have raised the ire of civic groups and political parties in the region who feel that the former defence ministers is just seeking attention and trying exonerate himself from the massacre of more than 20 000 people in Matabeleland and Midlands in the 1980s.

Nhlanhla Dube, spokesperson of the Ncube-led MDC, urged Nkala to behave like an elderly person and not try and wipe away his ugly political past by insulting the people he wronged.

"With all due respect to his age, as a party we do not want to throw ugly words at our elders, but we believe that Nkala has breached the space normally reserved for elders," said Dube.

"We understand that Nkala might be suffering from selective amnesia caused by his political past. He cannot cleanse his past by throwing insults at the people he wronged," said Dube.

Thabita Khumalo, the MDC-T deputy national spokesperson, also dismissed Nkala's views as nonsense. "That is utter nonsense. At least we have had leaders who have stood up in Parliament to talk about Gukurahundi, which spineless leaders like him failed to do. We have had leaders like Sidney Malinga who were very strong leaders and did a lot for Matabeleland," said Khumalo.

"As the MDC-T we are not spineless because we have changed the lives of people in this region. We have evidence to prove that. All these years in government and Nkala did not have the guts to demand development in Matabeleland. What did he ever do as a minister for Matabeleland?" fumed Khumalo.

Roderick Fayayo from the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association, said Nkala was trying to cleanse himself from the Gukurahundi atrocities and was looking for favours from his former party, ZANU-PF.

"It is a clear fact that in the period between 1980 and 1990 when investors were pouring money into this country, infrastructure was being destroyed in this part of the country," said Fayayo.

"When the people of Matabeleland thought he was a leader, he turned against them. I urge people to concentrate on more serious issues and leave Nkala to die with his guilt," added Fayayo.