Mohadi criticised for betraying Matabeleland

The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has launched a scathing attack on Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, accusing him of historical revisionism and ignoring the deep scars left by the ruling Zanu PF's oppressive rule in Matabeleland.

The criticism follows remarks made by Mohadi during a recent visit to Khami Prison in Bulawayo, where he hailed Zanu PF's role in Zimbabwe's economic and political emancipation — comments MRP says dangerously distort the region's painful history.

MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo denounced Mohadi's statements as a whitewash of Zanu PF's legacy of brutality, particularly in Matabeleland, which remains haunted by the Gukurahundi massacres, decades of marginalisation, and chronic underdevelopment.

"While the prison may have symbolised a place of refuge for some, it remains a site marked by anguish, torture and betrayal for many others," Moyo said.

"While Mohadi celebrates Zanu PF's so-called achievements, the reality is that the party has oppressed, marginalised and impoverished the Ndebele people."

Khami Prison, which once held liberation fighters from both ZAPU and South Africa's Umkhonto weSizwe, has a complex history that MRP says cannot be reduced to simplistic nationalist narratives.

Moyo accused Zanu PF of deliberately sidelining Matabeleland through ethnically biased economic policies, poor infrastructure development, and exclusion from decision-making platforms.

"Zanu PF's economic policies have been ethnically biased, deliberately stifling growth in Matabeleland. Infrastructure neglect, unemployment and poverty persist because the party prioritises power over people," Moyo charged.

He further lambasted Mohadi — himself a native of Matabeleland South — for what he described as betrayal of the Mthwakazi nation by putting "personal and family interests" ahead of the collective welfare of the Ndebele people.

"Despite their significant contribution to Zimbabwe's history and development, the Ndebele have been marginalised and excluded from meaningful participation in the country's governance and economy," Moyo said.

"Claims of emancipation are hollow when the Ndebele remain marginalised."

The MRP reiterated its long-standing position that true national liberation can only be realised through the acknowledgment of past atrocities, redress of historical injustices, and an end to systemic discrimination against Matabeleland.

The Vice-President's remarks have reignited tensions in a region still grappling with the legacy of Gukurahundi — a government-led crackdown in the 1980s that resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians in Matabeleland and the Midlands.

Despite calls for reconciliation and justice, critics argue that Zanu PF continues to silence dissent and gloss over its dark past, further alienating affected communities.