Opinion / Columnist
Ndebele invasion no excuse for Gukurahundi, otherwise Shona people must leave Zimbabwe too
05 Jan 2018 at 02:32hrs | Views
This World did not begin in 1830 nor did in begin in AD 300 when the Shona came to Zimbabwe from Kenya.
Everytime the victims of Gukurahundi demand respect, someone is quick to equate Gukurahundi to Ndebele invasion of 1830. Our society goes round the World professing to be highly educated, but, they can't use academic research to look at the objective reality. Gukurahundi was carried out by Mr Mugabe, Mr Mnangagwa, Mr Perence Shiri and a private partisan army coded 5th Brigade.
Gukurahundi happened between 1982 and 1990. Technically, Gukurahundi is happening now. It is about silencing, marginalising, exploiting and shoving the people of Ndebele origin out of National opportunity.
Many people do agree that Gukurahundi was wrong, however, most of those who speak the same language as Gukurahundi, are quick to balance the genocide of 1983 to the invasion of the Ndebele in 1830. If 1830 politics has to be used as an excuse for denying people of Ndebele origin in Zimbabwe in 2018, then, there is no intelligence to draw boundaries. If Zimbabweans cannot draw the line of past history, then, those who speak Gukurahundi language must leave Zimbabwe and go back to Tanzania or Kenya. Unfortunately enough, this writer also falls in the same bracket as those who originate from the North.
In a sane situation, Mr Mnangagwa, as the current President of Zimbabwe, and indeed, the man who was a Minister of Security during Gukurahundi days, must apologise. The word "SORRY" goes a long way. It goes to the sun and back. Stubborn deviance from something that happened thirty years ago and has current victims, is a behaviour of foolishness.
Those who run to say Gukurahundi was retribution to 1830 Ndebele invasion must be reminded that their memory is short or their knowledge is limited. This World did not begin in 1830 nor did in begin in AD 300 when the Shona came to Zimbabwe from Kenya. If we have no capability to differentiate between the Ndebele invasion of 1830 and Gukurahundi of 1983, let's then have no capability of drawing any lines and investigate who, exactly, has more claim to Zimbabwe.
History says by the year Jesus sought refuge in Egypt, all people of African origin were living along the Nile river. Archaeological evidence indicate that Black people then kept moving South of Africa seeking grazing land for their livestock. People of today's Nguni origin were the first to venture the region of Southern Africa. Actually, over many years, the settled in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and ended up being blocked by the sea in Cape-Town from going further South.
Very late, three hundred years after the death of Christ AD 300, the people of Swahili origin, moved from Tanganyika into Zimbabwe. They spoke Swahili dialect which later died to produce modern day Shona. Settling in Zimbabwe late in AD 300, after the Nguni had move South from Zimbabwe, indicates explicitly, who, is a Southern African?
Shona surnames and language are axiologically foreign in Southern Africa and thus not accidental. It is actually a confirmation that "WE" the Shona, originate from East Africa. I, the writer, am a Dzimiri and I am a Karanga and I do not want this to be misinterpreted. I dwell not on self perpetuation, but on Scientific objectivity.
So, carelessness must, by all means, be avoided in addressing the question of Gukurahundi which happened 30 years ago. Anyone suggesting to cement Gukurahundi to a 190 year old Ndebele invasion, is far from seeking prosperity for our beautiful country. Otherwise the Shona must go back to Kenya where they were in AD 70.
As we boast with our education, let us use our education to force Mnangagwa to apologise for Gukurahundi. If he thinks he is more Zimbabwean than the Ndebele, I question his education. The surnames of Mnangagwa, Mujuru, Tekere, Shiri, Dzimiri, Mugabe, Sekeramai do not belong to Southern Africa. Thus why these surnames behave obscenely in the eyes of local culture. Surnames of Ndlovu, Khumalo, Mkhize, Mlilo, Lesufi, Nkhidimeng, Molefe, Ncube, Nyathi, Dlamini, are Nguni and are found in Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana. The behaviour of local surnames in Southern Africa is compliant to consensus, understanding, self-restraint, ubuntu etc. Local Southern African people axiologically subscribe to a philosophy that one must live, and let others live. People of East Africa have different axiological aesthetics which dwells on tribal criteria.
Zimbabwe does not need that behaviour and, being located in Southern Africa, I beg President Mnangagwa to approach the Gukurahundi issue with the taste of Ubuntu. The drunkenness of Gukurahundi was beyond Southern African thinking. It had close resemblance to Hutu Tutsi Central African tribal thinking. This, originally from Midlands, was tortured by Gukurahundi for the sin of using Ndebele as my first language. Is this the Zimbabwe we want? Is it educated to silence people by use of force? When are we going to learn to be Southern African and do away with Central African thoughline?
Gukurahundi happened between 1982 and 1990. Technically, Gukurahundi is happening now. It is about silencing, marginalising, exploiting and shoving the people of Ndebele origin out of National opportunity.
Many people do agree that Gukurahundi was wrong, however, most of those who speak the same language as Gukurahundi, are quick to balance the genocide of 1983 to the invasion of the Ndebele in 1830. If 1830 politics has to be used as an excuse for denying people of Ndebele origin in Zimbabwe in 2018, then, there is no intelligence to draw boundaries. If Zimbabweans cannot draw the line of past history, then, those who speak Gukurahundi language must leave Zimbabwe and go back to Tanzania or Kenya. Unfortunately enough, this writer also falls in the same bracket as those who originate from the North.
In a sane situation, Mr Mnangagwa, as the current President of Zimbabwe, and indeed, the man who was a Minister of Security during Gukurahundi days, must apologise. The word "SORRY" goes a long way. It goes to the sun and back. Stubborn deviance from something that happened thirty years ago and has current victims, is a behaviour of foolishness.
Those who run to say Gukurahundi was retribution to 1830 Ndebele invasion must be reminded that their memory is short or their knowledge is limited. This World did not begin in 1830 nor did in begin in AD 300 when the Shona came to Zimbabwe from Kenya. If we have no capability to differentiate between the Ndebele invasion of 1830 and Gukurahundi of 1983, let's then have no capability of drawing any lines and investigate who, exactly, has more claim to Zimbabwe.
Very late, three hundred years after the death of Christ AD 300, the people of Swahili origin, moved from Tanganyika into Zimbabwe. They spoke Swahili dialect which later died to produce modern day Shona. Settling in Zimbabwe late in AD 300, after the Nguni had move South from Zimbabwe, indicates explicitly, who, is a Southern African?
Shona surnames and language are axiologically foreign in Southern Africa and thus not accidental. It is actually a confirmation that "WE" the Shona, originate from East Africa. I, the writer, am a Dzimiri and I am a Karanga and I do not want this to be misinterpreted. I dwell not on self perpetuation, but on Scientific objectivity.
So, carelessness must, by all means, be avoided in addressing the question of Gukurahundi which happened 30 years ago. Anyone suggesting to cement Gukurahundi to a 190 year old Ndebele invasion, is far from seeking prosperity for our beautiful country. Otherwise the Shona must go back to Kenya where they were in AD 70.
As we boast with our education, let us use our education to force Mnangagwa to apologise for Gukurahundi. If he thinks he is more Zimbabwean than the Ndebele, I question his education. The surnames of Mnangagwa, Mujuru, Tekere, Shiri, Dzimiri, Mugabe, Sekeramai do not belong to Southern Africa. Thus why these surnames behave obscenely in the eyes of local culture. Surnames of Ndlovu, Khumalo, Mkhize, Mlilo, Lesufi, Nkhidimeng, Molefe, Ncube, Nyathi, Dlamini, are Nguni and are found in Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana. The behaviour of local surnames in Southern Africa is compliant to consensus, understanding, self-restraint, ubuntu etc. Local Southern African people axiologically subscribe to a philosophy that one must live, and let others live. People of East Africa have different axiological aesthetics which dwells on tribal criteria.
Zimbabwe does not need that behaviour and, being located in Southern Africa, I beg President Mnangagwa to approach the Gukurahundi issue with the taste of Ubuntu. The drunkenness of Gukurahundi was beyond Southern African thinking. It had close resemblance to Hutu Tutsi Central African tribal thinking. This, originally from Midlands, was tortured by Gukurahundi for the sin of using Ndebele as my first language. Is this the Zimbabwe we want? Is it educated to silence people by use of force? When are we going to learn to be Southern African and do away with Central African thoughline?
Source - Ryton Dzimiri
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