ZANU PF threatens to dig up Rhodes' grave - faces resistance from villagers

ZANU PF threatens to dig up Rhodes'grave - faces resistance from villagers

ZANU PF supporters in Bulawayo have threatened to dig up the grave of Cecil John Rhodes in Matopos National Park amid anti-colonial protests in South Africa.

Rhodes is buried at a site he chose, known as World's View, in the Matopos Hills, half-an-hour's drive south of Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo. The grave is a major tourist attraction in southern Zimbabwe. President Robert Mugabe's supporters said

they are going to dig up the grave in solidarity with protests in South Africa calling for the removal of Rhodes's statue from Cape Town University.

"We strongly support what is happening in South Africa. We cannot stand seeing whites coming from abroad every day to honour and conduct rituals before their ancestor who is buried on our own land," said Zweli Malinga, an official with the ruling Zanu PF party in Bulawayo.

Three years ago, Mugabe blocked war veterans from disinterring Rhodes and sending his bones back to England, arguing that the grave was an important reminder of history. Rhodes, originally from Hertfordshire, made a fortune mining diamonds in South Africa before moving north to establish Rhodesia now Zimbabwe.

Ramabina Mahapa, a student leader at Cape Town University, said the bronze statue of Rhodes was offensive to black students. "Whose heritage are we preserving by keeping Rhodes here?"he asked. Malinga echoed the same sentiments, " we can not talk of independence yet retain memories of our oppressors and call them national sites."

Meanwhile villagers of Matobo District have vowed to resist any attempts by ZANU PF to temper with Rhodes' grave. The villagers claim Rhodes is now part of their culture and heritage and the site brings in a lot of income to villagers who sale to visiting tourists.

"We will fight tooth and nail against anyone who attempts to temper with Rhodes' grave," said Nkululeko Sibanda a villager in the area. "These ZANU PF people are just jealous that this grave is in Matobo they wish it was in Harare. They want to dig it and transfer it to Harare like they did to all Bulawayo companies," he added.

Matobo villagers are fresh from winning a battle for land against a senior ZANU PF official working in President Mugabe's office. The villagers united to resist the officer from grabbing Maleme Ranch owned by a white farmer in the area. A Bulawayo ZANU PF supporter who identified himself as Comrade Diliza declared war against the villagers over Rhodes' grave.

"We are watching the people from Matobo and would like to warn them that this time around their anti revolutionary moves are not going to be tolerated. We will remove Rhodes and if they resist they will go together with Rhodes' bones, this is Zimbabwe," said the self confessed former freedom fighter.