Minister under fire over 'Ndebele King'

In a striking letter dated 22 April 2025, Zimbabwe's Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, launched an unprecedented attack on the cultural identity of the Ndebele people. In a sternly worded correspondence to the Mayor of Bulawayo, Garwe condemned the city's reception of King Bulelani Lobengula - the South Africa-based heir of the last Ndebele monarch - dismissing him as a "pseudo character" and a "fraudulent impostor."

For many in Matabeleland, this was more than a bureaucratic reprimand. It was a brutal reminder of a government that continues to suppress Ndebele identity, erase their history, and ignore their pain - a pattern stretching back to the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s, when over 20,000 Ndebele civilians were brutally killed by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade under government orders.

Cultural Genocide in Broad Daylight

The letter goes further than political concern. It labels Bulelani's claim to the throne of King Lobengula - a revered symbol of Ndebele sovereignty - as criminal, and suggests that even hosting him at Bulawayo's City Hall was unlawful. No acknowledgment is made of the cultural or historical significance of the Lobengula lineage, nor of the right of Ndebele people to honor their traditions and history.

Instead, the Minister uses the Constitution to argue that only "Chiefs, Headmen, and Village Heads" are recognized under Zimbabwean law, and only when appointed by the President - effectively stripping any community of the right to self-identify or self-organize outside of state-imposed frameworks.

To the people of Matabeleland, this letter is a continuation of the same colonial logic that led to the forced disappearance of the Ndebele monarchy in the 19th century, and the same post-independence logic that led to Gukurahundi - the systematic murder, silencing, and terrorizing of Ndebele communities by the state.

The Gukurahundi Shadow Never Fades

Gukurahundi was not just about physical extermination. It was about psychological and cultural domination.

The denial of King Bulelani's legitimacy, and the criminalization of efforts to revive Ndebele royal heritage, shows that the state is still committed to that domination.

While other ethnic groups in Zimbabwe are allowed and encouraged to celebrate their kings, customs, and histories - as seen in the recognition of traditional leaders in Mashonaland - the Ndebele continue to be treated with contempt, suspicion, and open hostility.

The rejection of King Bulelani is not just a rejection of one man. It is a rejection of the collective memory, dignity, and heritage of millions.

Silencing Identity, Fueling Resistance

This attack on King Bulelani is part of a broader strategy to suppress calls for historical justice and cultural revival in Matabeleland.

As long as the government refuses to acknowledge the crimes of Gukurahundi, denies the cultural autonomy of the Ndebele, and brands all efforts of remembrance as illegal, they will continue to sow seeds of resentment and division.

If anything, this heavy-handed response will only deepen the resolve of Ndebele people to reclaim their identity, revive their heritage, and demand justice - not only for the slain of Gukurahundi, but for generations of cultural erasure.

Conclusion: The Time for Reckoning

Zimbabwe cannot build a united future on the foundations of denial and suppression. Real nation-building starts with truth-telling, cultural respect, and historical redress.

Until the government recognizes the pain it has caused and the legacy it continues to deny, letters like the one from Minister Garwe will only remind Zimbabweans of a bitter truth: Gukurahundi may have ended with guns, but it lives on through policy.