Opinion / Columnist
REWIND: BCC urged to change City names to restore Ndebele legacy
02 Feb 2017 at 21:17hrs | Views
UMHLAHLO Wesizwe SikaMthwakazi, a group which promotes the Ndebele culture in Zimbabwe is still waiting for the Bulawayo City Council to change some names of suburbs and schools in the city to "reflect the dignity and honour they deserve."
But the local authority has still not effected the changes, two years after the group made the demands. Below we publish the full letter which the pressure group wrote on 28 January 2015.
Municipal Buildings
Fife Street
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe
All protocol observed
REF: CONCERN ON HISTORICAL STREET AND SCHOOL NAMES IN BULAWAYO
We write to you with compliments of the New Year 2015 from Umhlahlo Wesizwe SikaMthwakazi and express our warmest wishes for the rest of the year. As referenced above our concern is that the street name Lobhengula Street and a variety of other street and school names that are of historical significance to our City of Kings and Queens. These as named are not reflective of the dignity and honour as their beholders deserve.
This proposition is meant to promote the City's status as a historical and heritage site. It is hoped that such a bold historic publicity initiative will make the city a cultural and heritage tourism destination of choice. We envisage that such an initiative will also preserve our history and make our children aware of their history and heritage.
May the city fathers be reminded that history is a vital organ of any society's identity and moreover Lobhengula was not an ordinary man but a King of the Ndebele kingdom, thus his name cannot be merely inscribed as Lobhengula Street? However this very city that we are proud of today was named after the honour of his Majesty King Lobhengula.
As a vanguard and shield of the cultural heritage of Matabeleland alias Mthwakazi we humbly request the street to be renamed King Lobhengula as it should be, and various other streets and schools be named with proper historical reference as all other places for example Queen Elizabeth Primary school who in this case is even a foreign or colonial reference and Princess Margaret Clinic, King George.
We also request that L.Takawira Avenue be named King Mzilikazi Avenue as it is significant in our historic links with South Africa – KwaZulu-Natal. His Majesty King Mzilikazi was the leader and founder of this great nation called Mthwakazi whose capital was named Bulawayo by his heir King Lobhengula.
We also propose that all monuments, schools, townships and any site that are named after members of the Khumalo Royal Family and their chiefs and all Mthwakazi heroes and heroines be renamed as such. These are Mzilikazi, Lobhengula, Matshobana, Lozikeyi, Nkulumane, Njube, Nguboyenja, Famona, Magwegwe, Fusi, and any other that the city fathers may identify.
We also hope this renaming will be extended to modern day heroes like Lookout Masuku whose war name was Mafela and as such the school be renamed General Mafela Primary School.
We hope that this email meets your favourable consideration.
Yours Faithfully
Mr. J.S. Silonda
National Chairman
0775587664
Municipal Buildings
Fife Street
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe
All protocol observed
REF: CONCERN ON HISTORICAL STREET AND SCHOOL NAMES IN BULAWAYO
We write to you with compliments of the New Year 2015 from Umhlahlo Wesizwe SikaMthwakazi and express our warmest wishes for the rest of the year. As referenced above our concern is that the street name Lobhengula Street and a variety of other street and school names that are of historical significance to our City of Kings and Queens. These as named are not reflective of the dignity and honour as their beholders deserve.
This proposition is meant to promote the City's status as a historical and heritage site. It is hoped that such a bold historic publicity initiative will make the city a cultural and heritage tourism destination of choice. We envisage that such an initiative will also preserve our history and make our children aware of their history and heritage.
May the city fathers be reminded that history is a vital organ of any society's identity and moreover Lobhengula was not an ordinary man but a King of the Ndebele kingdom, thus his name cannot be merely inscribed as Lobhengula Street? However this very city that we are proud of today was named after the honour of his Majesty King Lobhengula.
As a vanguard and shield of the cultural heritage of Matabeleland alias Mthwakazi we humbly request the street to be renamed King Lobhengula as it should be, and various other streets and schools be named with proper historical reference as all other places for example Queen Elizabeth Primary school who in this case is even a foreign or colonial reference and Princess Margaret Clinic, King George.
We also request that L.Takawira Avenue be named King Mzilikazi Avenue as it is significant in our historic links with South Africa – KwaZulu-Natal. His Majesty King Mzilikazi was the leader and founder of this great nation called Mthwakazi whose capital was named Bulawayo by his heir King Lobhengula.
We also propose that all monuments, schools, townships and any site that are named after members of the Khumalo Royal Family and their chiefs and all Mthwakazi heroes and heroines be renamed as such. These are Mzilikazi, Lobhengula, Matshobana, Lozikeyi, Nkulumane, Njube, Nguboyenja, Famona, Magwegwe, Fusi, and any other that the city fathers may identify.
We also hope this renaming will be extended to modern day heroes like Lookout Masuku whose war name was Mafela and as such the school be renamed General Mafela Primary School.
We hope that this email meets your favourable consideration.
Yours Faithfully
Mr. J.S. Silonda
National Chairman
0775587664
Source - Mr. J.S. Silonda
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