Opinion / Columnist
Gukurahundi Western Conspiracy, VP P. Mphoko responds
19 Dec 2014 at 21:45hrs | Views
This response is especially directed mainly to Mr. Casper Dube and others who genuinely want to know about my history.
However, I wish to point out that no amount of lies or smear campaign can turn me into a sell out.
First and foremost, I did not at any given time join ZANU. If Dabengwa, ever said that I joined ZANU, he is nothing but a cheap and pathetic lier who deserves no respect.
Instead in Mozambique, I was arrested by both ZANU and FRELIMO, And thrown into an Island only to be release on the eve of the Geneva Conference. Dabengwa knows that.
On Gukurahundi, I was a victim, because I was arrested together with Edward Ndlovu, Welshman Mabhena, Sydney Malunga and others. My arrest is well documented and was reported by the BBC. Judith Todd wrote extensively on my arrest.
On CIO, Dabengwa, seconded members from his NSO department in 1980 including Mlambo and others. I and other former ZPRA commanders were never called to join the army. I was only employed by Government in November 1981, as deputy director for demobilisation. When the demob exercise ended, I was transferred to the Department of Employment and Employment Development in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. In 1987, I was transferred to the diplomatic section of the President's Department (CIO) and posted to Mozambique in September 1987 as liaison officer, before I was posted to Austria. Victor Mlambo and Gorden Butshe were the ones who were working for CIO even during the Gukurahundi era. Not me. Records are there.
On Gukurahundi being a Western conspiracy. When Portugal gave up its over Seas teritorries, including Angola and Mozambique, Rhodesia's and South Africa's intelligence chiefs amlost walked to Lisbon to go and complain. They were worried that the ANC and MK, and SWAPO will use Angola as an operational base into Namibia and South Africa, and Mozambique, will provide operational bases for the ANC and what they referred to as Rhodesian terrorists. They appealed to Portugal to think again. But Spinola refused and asked them to find their own solution.
In defence of Apartheid in South Africa, and Namibia, they created UNITA in Angola and RENAMO in Mozambique in defence of Rhodesia.
When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Apartheid South Africa was under threat from the ANC through Zimbabwe. Western intelligence together with the South African intelligence BOSS and the out going Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) designed a strategy to destroy the lines of military supply of the ANC and MK under the pretext that the newly independent Zimbabwe was under threat of being attacked by former ZAPU/ZPRA in Matebeleland. That falsehood was intended to create a military force to deal with the perceived threat. That is how Gukurahundi was formed and that is how it became a Western conspiracy.
However, I wish to point out that no amount of lies or smear campaign can turn me into a sell out.
First and foremost, I did not at any given time join ZANU. If Dabengwa, ever said that I joined ZANU, he is nothing but a cheap and pathetic lier who deserves no respect.
Instead in Mozambique, I was arrested by both ZANU and FRELIMO, And thrown into an Island only to be release on the eve of the Geneva Conference. Dabengwa knows that.
On CIO, Dabengwa, seconded members from his NSO department in 1980 including Mlambo and others. I and other former ZPRA commanders were never called to join the army. I was only employed by Government in November 1981, as deputy director for demobilisation. When the demob exercise ended, I was transferred to the Department of Employment and Employment Development in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. In 1987, I was transferred to the diplomatic section of the President's Department (CIO) and posted to Mozambique in September 1987 as liaison officer, before I was posted to Austria. Victor Mlambo and Gorden Butshe were the ones who were working for CIO even during the Gukurahundi era. Not me. Records are there.
On Gukurahundi being a Western conspiracy. When Portugal gave up its over Seas teritorries, including Angola and Mozambique, Rhodesia's and South Africa's intelligence chiefs amlost walked to Lisbon to go and complain. They were worried that the ANC and MK, and SWAPO will use Angola as an operational base into Namibia and South Africa, and Mozambique, will provide operational bases for the ANC and what they referred to as Rhodesian terrorists. They appealed to Portugal to think again. But Spinola refused and asked them to find their own solution.
In defence of Apartheid in South Africa, and Namibia, they created UNITA in Angola and RENAMO in Mozambique in defence of Rhodesia.
When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Apartheid South Africa was under threat from the ANC through Zimbabwe. Western intelligence together with the South African intelligence BOSS and the out going Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) designed a strategy to destroy the lines of military supply of the ANC and MK under the pretext that the newly independent Zimbabwe was under threat of being attacked by former ZAPU/ZPRA in Matebeleland. That falsehood was intended to create a military force to deal with the perceived threat. That is how Gukurahundi was formed and that is how it became a Western conspiracy.
Source - Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
