Opinion / Columnist
Matabeleland converted into Mberengwa
19 Mar 2021 at 05:57hrs | Views
The people of Matabeleland are up in arms with a ploy that is at an advanced stage to make part of Gwanda South be merged with Mberengwa. The person behind this gambit is a senior Zanu PF official who is working flat out to create a Constituency for himself at the expense of the people of Gwanda South. If the ploy comes to pass, it will see West Nicholson, Collen Bawn, Drummond Farms, Towla Farms, Todds, Doddieburn, Highway, CSC farms, Sondelani, Makhado Farms and many other farms falling under Mberengwa. A new constituency is being muted and it is going to be created by taking away part of Gwanda South. According to a reliable source, Ward 23 which is under Gwanda Central will be made part of Mberengwa shortly.
This information was revealed by a reliable source working with a Senior Zanu PF official who has been planning this act concurrently with the recent Chilonga displacements. The whole project is meant to reduce and shrink the size of Matabeleland South noting that we will be having a population census and delimitation of constituencies in the shortest period of time. Matabeleland South has lost a lot in terms of development due to marginalization. The Geophysical Exploration researches so far done show that Matabeleland South is rich in minerals and that has seen the government of Zanu PF annexing the whole of Matabeleland into EPOs. In Zimbabwe, it is only Matabeleland South that is under EPOS making it difficult for the bonafide people from Matabeleland to venture into mining. While this is the case, a person from Matabeleland cannot venture into any mining activity in Zimbabwe. This can be affirmed by the recent fallout between Kembo Mohadi and his principal after trying to venture into mining in Penhalonga.
Recently we have seen Schweppes in Beit-Bridge and Deindary in Chilonga-Chiredzi displacing people from their ancestral lands under unclear circumstances. It is disheartening to see a fully-fledged government of the day amending or crafting a statutory instrument to empower it to take away people's land. Matabeleland as a whole has been deprived of development due to siphoning of its minerals by well-knit mineral cartels who are working in cahoots with the state to muzzle out the ordinary citizens.
We have seen Schweppes grabbing grazing and farming land in Beit-Bridge, Deindary doing the same in Chiredzi, Mining rights becoming under EPOs in Matabeleland South ONLY, and now part of Matabeleland South is going to be or make part of Mberengwa. Gwanda South, Beit-Bridge, Filabusi, Plumtree, Kezi are mainly dominated by mining and ranching activities. They are no industries in Matabeleland. It is high time annexation or amalgamation of Matabeleland South with Midlands is reversed since it is benefiting certain inner core individuals. The alleged penciled shady programmes by individual companies or those close to government will leave the people of Matabeleland worse off than during the Smith regime.
Several Civic Organisations are concerned with the government's insincerity in using the population census and delimitation to reduce Matabeleland into a small village that is not in control of its natural resources. The move to take away parts of Matabeleland South is well calculated to disempower the minority communities as noted with what is happening in Chilonga-Chiredzi. It is important to note that, in the whole of Zimbabwe, it is only Matabeleland South that is under EPOs. Recently we saw the government crafting and amending the statutory instrument to accommodate Deindary Lucerne project. It is disheartening to comprehend a cattle feed farming project taking precedence over human habitation.
It has come to pass that, the minority people in Zimbabwe are being oppressed on a daily basis and it appears the government has made a vow to exterminate them. The situation in these affected areas has turned to be worse than during the colonial era under Smith regime. Population census is going to be used to justify the grabbing of land and mines as a delimitation exercise when it's a planned move by July Moyo. Tribalism has reared its genetic factor to an unprecedented level with the government of the day openly allowing it to manifest in broad day light. Snatching of people's land and their displacement because of greed and self-aggrandizement should stop.
This information was revealed by a reliable source working with a Senior Zanu PF official who has been planning this act concurrently with the recent Chilonga displacements. The whole project is meant to reduce and shrink the size of Matabeleland South noting that we will be having a population census and delimitation of constituencies in the shortest period of time. Matabeleland South has lost a lot in terms of development due to marginalization. The Geophysical Exploration researches so far done show that Matabeleland South is rich in minerals and that has seen the government of Zanu PF annexing the whole of Matabeleland into EPOs. In Zimbabwe, it is only Matabeleland South that is under EPOS making it difficult for the bonafide people from Matabeleland to venture into mining. While this is the case, a person from Matabeleland cannot venture into any mining activity in Zimbabwe. This can be affirmed by the recent fallout between Kembo Mohadi and his principal after trying to venture into mining in Penhalonga.
Recently we have seen Schweppes in Beit-Bridge and Deindary in Chilonga-Chiredzi displacing people from their ancestral lands under unclear circumstances. It is disheartening to see a fully-fledged government of the day amending or crafting a statutory instrument to empower it to take away people's land. Matabeleland as a whole has been deprived of development due to siphoning of its minerals by well-knit mineral cartels who are working in cahoots with the state to muzzle out the ordinary citizens.
Several Civic Organisations are concerned with the government's insincerity in using the population census and delimitation to reduce Matabeleland into a small village that is not in control of its natural resources. The move to take away parts of Matabeleland South is well calculated to disempower the minority communities as noted with what is happening in Chilonga-Chiredzi. It is important to note that, in the whole of Zimbabwe, it is only Matabeleland South that is under EPOs. Recently we saw the government crafting and amending the statutory instrument to accommodate Deindary Lucerne project. It is disheartening to comprehend a cattle feed farming project taking precedence over human habitation.
It has come to pass that, the minority people in Zimbabwe are being oppressed on a daily basis and it appears the government has made a vow to exterminate them. The situation in these affected areas has turned to be worse than during the colonial era under Smith regime. Population census is going to be used to justify the grabbing of land and mines as a delimitation exercise when it's a planned move by July Moyo. Tribalism has reared its genetic factor to an unprecedented level with the government of the day openly allowing it to manifest in broad day light. Snatching of people's land and their displacement because of greed and self-aggrandizement should stop.
Source - Sibangilizwe Moyo
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