Opinion / Columnist
If Lord Mayor David Coltart dies, will his remains be sent to the UK for burial?
2 hrs ago | Views
How many millions of white people are buried in Southern Rhodesia? It is indeed attention seeking to demand the removal of Cecil John Rhodes be repatriated to the UK. Following the logic carefully, are we to exhume all who were part of the colonialization processes and send their remains to the UK? For what political purpose is this reburial intended to quench? Did King Moyo or King Munhumutapa consult populations, some referendum to establish the peoples wishes, are they agreeable? If David Coltart died today, are his remains be subject to discussion where he will be laid to rest? Cecil Rhodes wished to be buried in Matobo Hills. If for arguments sake, his remains are removed from Matobo to the UK, what advantageous changes on the ground will it make? After Cecil John Rhodes's removal, who will be next; or are all white people's graves be subjected to exhumation, sent to the UK for reburial? That will be an enormous exercise without global precedence.
I am one of the many who want Mbuya Nehanda's head be brought back to Zimbabwe for a decent burial. Mbuya Nehanda's head, unlike Cecil Rhodes, was sent to the UK as a trophy and was displayed at the museum for show. To display a human-head in a museum glass for public display may have had its colonial glory back then. Currently her head is locked up in a cellar of the Museum. Who will visit a museum that displays a human head as a trophy? The body part must be sent home for a decent burial in Zimbabwe, rightly so.
In times of emotional and political discussions, we must never lose fundamental differences between "the living and the dead". We dwell on social and political constructs far too much. Dr. Mavaza once said, "DEATH MAYENZANISA". What he meant was, at death, we shed racism, tribalism, colonialism away; these social and political constructs are dropped, they cease to have any meaning. At death the consciousness becomes one, be it black, or white or any colour skin we attach importance to. A body without a life can be interred in any burial place. It can be said death equalized Cecil Rhodes and Mbuya Nehanda. This hullaballoo about repatriation of remains; a history of a century ago does not alter facts on the ground: Zimbabwe got independent from Great Britain in 1980, a success story for centuries.
Keeping Cecil John Rhodes at Matobo Hills and repatriating Nehanda's head from the UK museum to Zimbabwe have the same historical component. The latter is not yet buried but part of her remains is confined in museum's cellar. A decent burial in Zimbabwe, in the home of the Zezuru people is befitting. It would be a historical mistake to remove Cecil Rhodes from Matobo because the presence of his grave in the middle of Matabeleland, upon his wishes while he lived to be laid to rest in Matobo hills, gives a historical context where future scholars will evidence their research and documentations for centuries to come. Why then eradicate this historical artifact because of unfounded emotions. King Moyo's Kingdom or King Munhumutapa are not from Matabeleland and their jurisdiction does not extend to the region of Matabeleland region but confined to Karanga region. They both have no right to side-step or extend his authority to the Matabeleland South region.
Such utterances coming from a misguided King Munhumutapa raises emotions that could demand demarcation of Zimbabwe nation to be two. Matabeleland cannot be seen to be dictated by another King from another region. King Moyo claims to reign over the entire nation, which is not true. He is overstepping his authority which could stir the nation into deep uncertainties, demanding cessation of Matabeleland from Zimbabwe. That he is the only King in the nation is surprising because previous Kings of Karanga were known for their wisdom. King Mzilikazi had good and warm relationship with the Kingdom of the Karangas ever since the Ndebele Kingdom was established in 1835. We experience today another form of Kingship without grounded leadership and wisdom – coexistence and cooperation of two kingdoms.
Repatriating the remains of Cecil John Rhodes may not be the problem per se. The problem lies in the recognition of Kings, from which ethnic group? We have five Kings in Zimbabwe contesting for kingship, each claiming to be legitimate King of Zimbabwe. Bulelani Khumalo of Matabeleland wants to rule Matabeleland only. He still needs to compete with other two Kings in the region who have claimed to be legitimate too. These internecine royal fights play well if an international element is drawn in to attract larger attention. Whoever managed to demand the removal of Cecil Rhodes from Matobo and bringing back Mbuya Nehanda's head successfully is a trophy to seek more jurisdiction in different tribal lands; factually other kingdoms will be subordinated to King Munhumutapa or King Moyo.
My simple question is, Mugabe violently removed white settlers from farms. It does not matter how one looks at it, it did not assist the nation anyhow. We have never suffered from hunger when the whites owned the farms. We have not recovered from the farm invasions because the nation has constant periods of famine; what was not the case before the farm invasions. Who benefitted from the farm's invasions, certainly not the citizens but politicians. They went on a looting spree; occupied best farms. Zimbabweans are starving, we are much worse off than before 1980 independence: what an irony. This argument comes in because it is not obvious how repatriating Cecil Rhodes's remains brings any value or is it the ego of a King that must be polished by big acts; he will be known to be speaking with King Charles of Great Britain and Ireland?
King Charles can bring back the remains as early as yesterday, and what after that? Will the UK still be giving food AID to hungry Zimbabweans if they are told to remove Cecil Rhodes from Matobo. Where there is action, there will be a reaction. Shamefully, we depend on Aid from the UK despite our independence. Somehow, we think we can be rude to them, UK will further continue assistance to a nation incapable of feeding a population of only 15 million. Time will come when UK tells Zimbabwe they have been sending millions of pounds sterling, and it must stop. We have never used aid sustainably and effectively: UK Aid was looted by politicians including the former president, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Zimbabwean government has nothing to show, what happened to UK aid. To return their Aid with rudeness will not assist. We suffer from the ego of presidents and rogue Kings, self-proclaimed as legitimate kingdoms, 5 whole Kings in a nation of 15 million. King Charles is one King in a nation of 60 million subjects.
My slender suggestion is, we must give attention to issues affecting our nation first. We have serious food insecurities. We were once a breadbasket of Africa, food sovereign and that tag has gone we are not able to recover it, mismanagement in the running of two governments. Our problem is not Cecil Rhodes's remains but a deviation of serious problems the country is currently facing. These 5 Kings must address the social decay that ravaged the nation. The youth consumption of drugs resulting in violence experienced in all sections of communities, must be addressed by the Kings equally. The presence of Chinese in the country looting as if there is no tomorrow: looting our nation's natural resources broad day light, destroying our environment permanently. It is not Cecil Rhodes grave lying silently at Matobo hills, a grave site out of our way. It does not add up to full total.
I am one of the many who want Mbuya Nehanda's head be brought back to Zimbabwe for a decent burial. Mbuya Nehanda's head, unlike Cecil Rhodes, was sent to the UK as a trophy and was displayed at the museum for show. To display a human-head in a museum glass for public display may have had its colonial glory back then. Currently her head is locked up in a cellar of the Museum. Who will visit a museum that displays a human head as a trophy? The body part must be sent home for a decent burial in Zimbabwe, rightly so.
In times of emotional and political discussions, we must never lose fundamental differences between "the living and the dead". We dwell on social and political constructs far too much. Dr. Mavaza once said, "DEATH MAYENZANISA". What he meant was, at death, we shed racism, tribalism, colonialism away; these social and political constructs are dropped, they cease to have any meaning. At death the consciousness becomes one, be it black, or white or any colour skin we attach importance to. A body without a life can be interred in any burial place. It can be said death equalized Cecil Rhodes and Mbuya Nehanda. This hullaballoo about repatriation of remains; a history of a century ago does not alter facts on the ground: Zimbabwe got independent from Great Britain in 1980, a success story for centuries.
Keeping Cecil John Rhodes at Matobo Hills and repatriating Nehanda's head from the UK museum to Zimbabwe have the same historical component. The latter is not yet buried but part of her remains is confined in museum's cellar. A decent burial in Zimbabwe, in the home of the Zezuru people is befitting. It would be a historical mistake to remove Cecil Rhodes from Matobo because the presence of his grave in the middle of Matabeleland, upon his wishes while he lived to be laid to rest in Matobo hills, gives a historical context where future scholars will evidence their research and documentations for centuries to come. Why then eradicate this historical artifact because of unfounded emotions. King Moyo's Kingdom or King Munhumutapa are not from Matabeleland and their jurisdiction does not extend to the region of Matabeleland region but confined to Karanga region. They both have no right to side-step or extend his authority to the Matabeleland South region.
Such utterances coming from a misguided King Munhumutapa raises emotions that could demand demarcation of Zimbabwe nation to be two. Matabeleland cannot be seen to be dictated by another King from another region. King Moyo claims to reign over the entire nation, which is not true. He is overstepping his authority which could stir the nation into deep uncertainties, demanding cessation of Matabeleland from Zimbabwe. That he is the only King in the nation is surprising because previous Kings of Karanga were known for their wisdom. King Mzilikazi had good and warm relationship with the Kingdom of the Karangas ever since the Ndebele Kingdom was established in 1835. We experience today another form of Kingship without grounded leadership and wisdom – coexistence and cooperation of two kingdoms.
My simple question is, Mugabe violently removed white settlers from farms. It does not matter how one looks at it, it did not assist the nation anyhow. We have never suffered from hunger when the whites owned the farms. We have not recovered from the farm invasions because the nation has constant periods of famine; what was not the case before the farm invasions. Who benefitted from the farm's invasions, certainly not the citizens but politicians. They went on a looting spree; occupied best farms. Zimbabweans are starving, we are much worse off than before 1980 independence: what an irony. This argument comes in because it is not obvious how repatriating Cecil Rhodes's remains brings any value or is it the ego of a King that must be polished by big acts; he will be known to be speaking with King Charles of Great Britain and Ireland?
King Charles can bring back the remains as early as yesterday, and what after that? Will the UK still be giving food AID to hungry Zimbabweans if they are told to remove Cecil Rhodes from Matobo. Where there is action, there will be a reaction. Shamefully, we depend on Aid from the UK despite our independence. Somehow, we think we can be rude to them, UK will further continue assistance to a nation incapable of feeding a population of only 15 million. Time will come when UK tells Zimbabwe they have been sending millions of pounds sterling, and it must stop. We have never used aid sustainably and effectively: UK Aid was looted by politicians including the former president, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Zimbabwean government has nothing to show, what happened to UK aid. To return their Aid with rudeness will not assist. We suffer from the ego of presidents and rogue Kings, self-proclaimed as legitimate kingdoms, 5 whole Kings in a nation of 15 million. King Charles is one King in a nation of 60 million subjects.
My slender suggestion is, we must give attention to issues affecting our nation first. We have serious food insecurities. We were once a breadbasket of Africa, food sovereign and that tag has gone we are not able to recover it, mismanagement in the running of two governments. Our problem is not Cecil Rhodes's remains but a deviation of serious problems the country is currently facing. These 5 Kings must address the social decay that ravaged the nation. The youth consumption of drugs resulting in violence experienced in all sections of communities, must be addressed by the Kings equally. The presence of Chinese in the country looting as if there is no tomorrow: looting our nation's natural resources broad day light, destroying our environment permanently. It is not Cecil Rhodes grave lying silently at Matobo hills, a grave site out of our way. It does not add up to full total.
Source - Nomazulu Thata
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