Jabulani Sibanda urges Zimbabweans to shun tribalism

Zanu-PF provincial chairperson for Bulawayo Jabulani Sibanda has urged Zimbabweans to shun tribalism to ensure unity and development.

The former Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veteran Association chairperson made the remarks while addressing parents and stakeholders during the commissioning of a new school bus at Sobukhazi High School in Mzilikazi recently.

He said many Zimbabweans were becoming lazy and hiding behind tribalism and marginalisation.

"Stop giving people jobs based on what language they speak or their ethnicity or surnames. It's a very bad thing that people are practising. We do not have Shonas or Ndebeles. We are Zimbabweans. If you do not learn how to calculate then tomorrow go around saying people are hiring a certain tribe (sic)," he said.

"I went to the bush during the war and I saw a lot of blood as people died. There was never a Shona blood or Ndebele blood. I do not know what it looks like.

"If you see it come and show me. We live in the southern parts of the country where there is little rainfall. That's nature. Take a child from this region and give him one calf and take a child from the northern part who is used to tilling land and give him five hectares of land.

"If you come back after four years the one with land would have multiplied and made thrice the money they invested, while the one with the calf will still be developing into a cow for it to procreate."

The politician called on Zimbabweans to be responsible and find ways to rectify the situation while urging learners to study harder than before.

Sibanda also said Zimbabwe needed to emulate other countries and move with the times.

"Africa is the only continent with all the minerals. We have vast tracks of land. Why do we have people from other countries coming to exploit our minerals for us?

"We can't be producing students who only know how to use a saw on iron bars whose formation they can't even comprehend. People can do that in Makokoba or Renkini," he said.

He applauded teachers for working hard, adding that they should get residential stands to build their own houses.

"We do not want our teachers to be lodgers, they should own houses. That's why I came here and asked teachers to register for residential stands," he said.

The Zanu-PF provincial chairperson implored residents and learners to expose drug dealers and abusers.

"If there are drug peddlers here in the community and you are afraid of being victimised, whisper to the head and he will whisper to me then action will be taken.

"I will not compromise when it comes to our children. Headmaster, you are the one who knows how to deal with academic issues, I went to military college and I can tell you how fast a shotgun bullet travels," he said.

Sibanda called on Bulawayo City Council to seriously consider the plight of vendors.

"Mayor, you guys send your police to go and raid the people there on the streets and take away their products. They will be trying to feed their families, so try other means of dealing with the issue," he added.