Opinion / Columnist
The Rudd Concession: the correct narrative
04 Nov 2017 at 07:14hrs | Views
We too are human beings and want our history to be recognised. It should be remembered that this Month of October is the Month when our Great King, iNkosi uLobhengula signed the Rudd Concession (in October 1888), with the aim of Protecting his Mthwakazi State, and its citizens. It's the same Rudd Concession of October 1888 that the White Colonial Racists decided to flout and violate by choosing not to honour their end of the bargain.
Also it should be noted that there are some, especially among the Shona people, a few others who are totally uninformed; who have a habit of deliberately twisting this important part of history by presenting an elaborate lie that King Lobhengula sold the land to the whites; such a lie we all should know was first peddled by the same Colonial Racists who had failed to honour their end of the deal. Second, it should be noted this lie was later perpetuated by the nationalists, most of them from Mashonaland, with an avowed intention of framing their 'Shona nationalism' as the emancipatory project! It is important for us to note that King Lobhengula's state, uMthwakazi State did not by any stretch of imagination include Mashonaland. King Lobhengula's Mthwakazi State had it's boundary clearly located along the present day Mutirikwe River. Towards present day Harare (formerly, Fort Salisbury) the boundary ended in a place called uQweqwe- a name that the same colonial racists bastardised to Kwekwe, owing to their failure to pronounce it. So anyone from MaShonaland who grew up being taught that King Lobhengula sold out their land should know that, first King Lobhengula's land was never part of Mashonaland. Therefore it would be totally absurd for anyone to imagine that by the time the white Colonial Racists stole the land it was bounded on the present day state of Zimbabwe. It was not! At the time, two states - the Mthwakazi State and that of Munhumutapa were firmly in existence and bounded, although we all know that Munhumutapa's territory had already been occupied by the same white colonial racists.
So it remains a fact that King Lobhengula was never the King of Mashonaland, because his state never extended that far. And so the clamour by most people from Mashonaland is just unfounded! Second, King Lobhengula signed the Rudd Concession, in October 1888, with the aim of protecting his state, territory and his people. And it should be known that the White Colonial Racists he signed the deal with violated every tenet of it. They failed to honour every single part of it because their motive was deceit.
History is replete with anecdotal events to prove all this. It remains a fact that, by the time the Rudd concession was signed what is now called Mashonaland and what is now called Masvingo (formerly Fort Victoria) were already occupied territories (by the same colonialists). So it should be understood that King Lobhengula signed the Rudd concession to prevent the occupation of his state, Mthwakazi, and when that failed his warriors fought valiantly!.
Also it should be noted that there are some, especially among the Shona people, a few others who are totally uninformed; who have a habit of deliberately twisting this important part of history by presenting an elaborate lie that King Lobhengula sold the land to the whites; such a lie we all should know was first peddled by the same Colonial Racists who had failed to honour their end of the deal. Second, it should be noted this lie was later perpetuated by the nationalists, most of them from Mashonaland, with an avowed intention of framing their 'Shona nationalism' as the emancipatory project! It is important for us to note that King Lobhengula's state, uMthwakazi State did not by any stretch of imagination include Mashonaland. King Lobhengula's Mthwakazi State had it's boundary clearly located along the present day Mutirikwe River. Towards present day Harare (formerly, Fort Salisbury) the boundary ended in a place called uQweqwe- a name that the same colonial racists bastardised to Kwekwe, owing to their failure to pronounce it. So anyone from MaShonaland who grew up being taught that King Lobhengula sold out their land should know that, first King Lobhengula's land was never part of Mashonaland. Therefore it would be totally absurd for anyone to imagine that by the time the white Colonial Racists stole the land it was bounded on the present day state of Zimbabwe. It was not! At the time, two states - the Mthwakazi State and that of Munhumutapa were firmly in existence and bounded, although we all know that Munhumutapa's territory had already been occupied by the same white colonial racists.
History is replete with anecdotal events to prove all this. It remains a fact that, by the time the Rudd concession was signed what is now called Mashonaland and what is now called Masvingo (formerly Fort Victoria) were already occupied territories (by the same colonialists). So it should be understood that King Lobhengula signed the Rudd concession to prevent the occupation of his state, Mthwakazi, and when that failed his warriors fought valiantly!.
Source - Dr Brilliant Sigabade Mhlanga
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