MRP in renewed push for Mthwakazi self-determination

The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has called on Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), the African Union, and the international community to recognise the Mthwakazi self-determination issue as a legitimate political question rather than a security threat.

MRP president Mqondisi Moyo said recent international developments in Bougainville and New Caledonia show that questions of political consent and self-determination cannot simply be dismissed on the basis of inherited colonial borders.

Moyo pointed to developments in Bougainville, where preparations for possible independence are continuing after a 2019 referendum in which 97,7% of voters reportedly backed independence from Papua New Guinea.

He also referenced ongoing constitutional and political negotiations in New Caledonia, arguing that political status arrangements can be addressed through lawful and democratic processes.

"Bougainville proves that when a people persistently asserts its political will, post-colonial borders do not end the inquiry," Moyo said.

"New Caledonia proves that self-determination does not have to be reduced to a slogan. Between total independence and total domination are autonomy, local citizenship, constitutional recognition, negotiated transfer of powers, and lawful processes for measuring consent."

According to Moyo, the party submitted a petition to Sadc in September 2023 advocating for self-determination for Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands, carrying 25 880 signatures. He said the petition was registered by the Sadc Secretariat under reference number 3951863.

The MRP leader accused Zimbabwean authorities of responding with hostility to the party's campaign, alleging that Munyaradzi Machacha described the programme as a declaration of war and threatened repression against party members.

"A people that petitions Sadc is not making war," Moyo said. "A people that asks for consent to be measured is not threatening the state."

Moyo said the Mthwakazi claim is rooted in historical grievances, including colonial conquest, alleged political marginalisation, and the legacy of the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s.

The party called for formal engagement by Sadc on the petition, an end to threats against peaceful advocacy, and the establishment of dialogue mechanisms capable of discussing options ranging from enhanced autonomy to possible independence.

The MRP said it remains committed to pursuing its agenda through peaceful, democratic, and lawful means.

Founded in Bulawayo in January 2014, the MRP advocates for what it describes as the political, cultural, and economic self-determination of Mthwakazi.