Politicians from Matabeleland in Zimbabwe need to 'break the deputy mentality'

African politics and landscape is plagued by one disease: tribalism. This disease has brought untold misery and calamity to our motherland. Zimbabwe is no exception and what makes our situation interesting is that there are virtually 'two tribes'the Shona and Ndebele- yet the reality is that no one is a 'Shona' or 'Ndebele'.

There are Zezurus, Khumalos, Karangas, Tongas, Manyikas, Ndaus, Kalangas, Vendas, Sothos, Nambyas, and Xhosas among others, yet we are all lumped into the Shona-Ndebele categories. However, I will also adopt the common, but wrong view that Zimbabwe is made up of Shonas and Ndebeles.

The Shonas are the majority making up almost 75% of the population or more while the Ndebeles make up about 20% of the population and the other 5% or so is of the Indian, White, mixed race and 'others' of mostly Zambian, Mozambican and Malawian origin. In terms of politics, Shonas dominate top leadership while Ndebeles have become the deputies, a title that they are so 'honoured' to hold.

It has become an acceptable norm that principals must be Shonas while Ndebeles deputise them. The assumption is that Shonas are so tribalistic that they will never vote for Ndebeles. It is my thesis that Ndebele politicians have a duty to rise above the 'deputy mentality' and become the presidents. No one will bestow this position on them unless they demand it.

The fallacy that Shonas will never vote for a Ndebele is not entirely true: Marvelous Khumalo (and you never become more Ndebele than a Khumalo) is a Member of Parliament for St. Mary's in Chitungwiza where one Shona King Chaminuka was born. Then there is the MP for Chegutu West, Takalani Prince Matibe. Chegutu is in President Mugabe​'s home province and the name Takalani meaning 'Be Happy' is Venda which falls under the Ndebele umbrella.

Yes, I do not deny that tribalism exist, but what about Marvelous and Takalani who are elected by Shonas to parliament? Maybe Ndebele leaders have given up without trying harder; there are so many decent Shonas who will vote for Ndebeles the same way as there are decent Ndebeles who will vote for Shonas. Matabeleland candidates have not even sought the nomination to be presidents of late, pointing to yesteryears when Shonas rebelled against Joshua Nkomo​ to form ZANU.

They queue to be deputies like Lovemore Moyo fighting Thokozani Khupe​ and Obert Mpofu​ fighting John Nkomo​ to be Tsvangirayi and Mugabe's deputies respectively!

I know critics like Dr Brilliant Mhlanga may argue that this opinion is blaming victims, but victims must learn to set aside victimhood and take the bull by its horns.

Professor Jonathan Moyo​ is an interesting character, who lost his father to Gukurahundi and suffered the same trauma that some of us use as an excuse for accepting being the second best. An academic par excellence, Moyo is known for taking the bull by its horns than anyone else in Zimbabwean politics. He can criticise Mugabe and Zanu PF​, join them and save them from electoral defeat, leave them and defeat them in polls, criticise them and then rejoin them in a space of 5 years!

In Shona he does what is called "kuita madiro aGeorgina" while in Ndebele it's called 'ukwenza santando" (do-as-you-please). In a tribally-polarised country like ours, Moyo shows that if you are hardworking and capable, you don't owe your political position to 'he who appoints'. Whether Zanu PF likes it or not, they know that Moyo is an asset and his Ndebeleness does not count.

As a Tsholotsho native, I have seen the projects that Moyo initiated and know that he is assured of people's support because of hard work.

Let me look at two deputies from Matabeleland, John Nkomo and Thokozani Khupe. In as much as Khupe was voted by the people of Makokoba, she has behaved like another appointee owing her position to 'he who appoints' than the people.

John Nkomo has no voice because he is not only unelected, but unelectable too, so not much is expected of him although he has pulled a surprise by helping to build a secondary school in her home area of Manqe in Tsholotsho.

Thokozani Khupe has been a disappointment; she is never there to speak for her constituency, let alone to initiate any development. Her deputy position is more of an honorary one than any substance. Her compatriot, Thabitha Khumalo, MP of Bulawayo East has outshone her as the female voice of Matabeleland in parliament dealing with the thorny issue of Gukurahundi.

In a recent interview with the Standard newspaper, about people being deported from South Africa, Khumalo spoke of their failure to obtain passports because they never had birth certificates in the first place. Some may not understand the link between Gukurahundi and failure to obtain birth certificates, I will give a background.

In the past, Zimbabweans tended not to obtain birth certificates until when children needed them in school for exams. This meant parents needed 'witnesses' to prove that their children were theirs. Falsified years and even registering children who are not yours was and may still be very common. If your parents died before those documents were obtained, it became a problem. Gukurahundi victims have suffered this fate hence Thabitha has been highlighting it.

As for Thokozani, a once vibrant trade unionist, she has been known for mourning the dead like the professional female Nigerian mourners in movies. When the late Mrs Susan Tsvangirai died, Thoko was shown crying louder than Tsvangirai's children saying she had lost a mother and when Tongai Moyo died, she suddenly said she has lost a partner in fighting cancer. I googled her 'cancer fighting partnership with Tongai' and there is no public record of it. Unless they privately fought this cancer scourge, Thoko was not telling the truth about her initiative and she needs to be challenged to say what it is that she did with Tongai.

Politicians must be held accountable for their words whether they are at a funeral or wedding. Argubly, Makokoba constituency in Bulawayo is worse under her than it was under Sithembiso Nyoni who was known for her project development skills. Though unfortunate, her opponents have even lampooned her for 'losing hair fighting to be Tsvangirai's deputy'! If she can smell the coffee, she understands how much disappointed people are with her.

The current talk about succession in both Zanu PF and MDC T zeroes around Joice Mujuru, Emmerson Mnangagwa​, and Tendai Biti - nothing is said about John Nkomo, Simon Khaya Moyo or Thoko and Lovemore Moyo, who are all more senior than their Mashonaland counterparts. This gives observers the view that they are permanent deputies, waiting for the next president so that they can serve under them. If they are afraid that they can't win votes, why don't they push for the adoption of the South African-Zambian-Botswana style of having their parties' constitution declare that a deputy becomes the president once the incumbent leave office?

That way, they can safely walk in if a chance arises than to wait there enjoying being deputies. Zanu PF or MDC supporters will definitely vote for whoever leads their party irrespective of their Ndebele or Kalanganess. These deputies are so relaxed and unaspiring!

Welshman Ncube​ suffered the same mentality until he realised that he can be the president of a party and to date MDC is much better than it was under Arthur O.G. Mutambara although this is yet to be proven on an electoral field.

The deputies from Matabeleland have been a total embarrassment at national level: Thamsanqa Mahlangu allegedly stole Chinotimba's phone and brought ladies of the night into a hotel room, and Seiso Moyo from Nketa declared that she is 'honoured' to be made a deputy minister by Tsvangirai and then disappeared with her new title, never to be seen again. Ironically, those who hold full ministerial positions have performed extremely well: Senator David Coltart has been outstanding as a Minister of Education, Welshman Ncube has revived Zimbabwean industries, not to mention his effort towards curbing massive de-industrialisation of Bulawayo, and Gabuzza Joel Gabuza has done fairly well in the development of the Bubi-Lupane Dam, not forgetting Tabitha Khumalo, the MDC's star in Matabeleland.

The people of Matabeleland have to act and stop complaining about marginalisation. The power is in our hands, we must vote out these under-performing permanent deputies, irrespective of party affiliations starting with Thokozani Khupe, Thamsanqa Mahlangu and other non-performers. We have done the same with the likes of John Nkomo, Simon Khaya Moyo and we can do it again.

On the other hand, rewarding hard workers irrespective of their political affiliation will send a powerful signal that days of playing games are over. Jonathan Moyo, Welshman Ncube, David coltart, Thabitha Khumalo, Gabuzza Joel Gabuza, Sithembiso Nyoni, Moses Mzila Ndlovu and other hard workers, are the people who must represent us. They are MDC T/N, Zanu PF and 'Independents' yet they can perform. At national level, our leaders must lay aside the deputy mentality and fight their way up by either declaring their candidacy for presidency openly or fighting for a 'fair representation constitution' in their parties that guarantees them presidency once the incumbent leaves. Ndebeles are not there to serve Shonas, we can be the leaders of Zimbabwe if we put ourselves into the task.

On another note, my prayers go to Thokozani Khupe as she undergoes cancer treatment in South Africa.

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Phithizela Ngcobo is a rural born and bred Zimbabwean from Tsholotsho district. His passion is to see rural Africans having a say in the way they are ruled. Email: pngcox@yahoo.co.uk.