Opinion / Letters
Ndebele Chiefs' letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa - Fulltext
13 Nov 2018 at 20:46hrs | Views
From the Office of....
CHIEF VEZI MADUNA MAFU OF AVOCA FILABUSI COMMUNAL LANDS
9 October 2018
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
His Excellency President E.D. Mnangagwa
Office of the President and Cabinet
Munhumutapa Building Harare
Your Excellency Sir,
RE: PETITION OVER SECRET AND CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC MARGINALISATION OF NDEBELE PEOPLE (MATABELELAND AT LARGE) BY IMPLEMENTING THE DRACONIAN 1979 GRAND PLAN
As an elderly Chief in Matabeleland I have tried 3 consecutive times to see you privately concerning the above reference, but I have been taken for granted by your inner personnel who blocked me. I was left with no option but to write this letter. The issues that I wanted to discuss with you are:
1. Secret issuance of 17 Mining Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO) which costs $20 per ha /year in Matabeleland South e.g. the EPO for Lithium which covers Shapi-Mahongola- Gwabatema in Guyu-Ntepe-crossing Tuli river, this means we have no land as chiefs for economic devolution which you proclaimed since all mining EPOs where given to Harare guys and considering precedence Mining EPQ have over any activity in that area or land.
2. Grabbing of Prime agriculture land using fronts like (I) Trek at Maphisa. (2) Schweppes at Zhobe Dam in Beitbridge I have information whose interest these companies are serving as business fronts at the expense of the local people.
3. The selection of those who were sent to China to train in changing coal into diesel; petrol and Bitumen for the plant that is going to be assembled at Lusulu I am very much disturbed that in this team we were not consulted as Chiefs and there is no one from the communities Hwange, Binga and Lupane that has, this natural energy mineral resource (coal)
4. Composition of following the top 6 namely Minister, Deputy Minister, Permanent Secretary, Principal Director, Deputy Director from the following Ministries
1. Ministry of Local Government
2. Ministry of Information
3. Ministry of Energy
4. Ministry of Agriculture
5. Public Service Commission (Human Resources Department)
There is no one from Matabeleland is that how the new 'dispensation treats Matabeleland people after years of suffering from 1981 to 1987 Ndebeles Genocide (Gukurahundi). This has been a public talk in every Ndebele homestead kindly find time to discuss with me and my delegation issues raised in this letter. To me it proves why you have been pushing for economic devolution knowingly that behind our back as Chiefs you systematically and secretly took all strategic economic drivers, sites and minerals in Matabeleland. Mr President, My Son may you kindly correct immediately what I have raised in this letter for it is proving that you are not sincere in your regional economic devolution in Matabeleland.
6. Issuance of Safari Permits in Matabeleland
7. Special Mining Concessions for Lupane Methane Gas
8. Continuous housing of Matabeleland North Provincial Minister and Provincial Administrator's Offices at Mhlahlandlela Building in Bulawayo whilst there is a complete office in Lupane hinders economic development of Matabeleland North Province. I therefore request that they move to provincial offices.
9. National Joint Operations Command (JOC) shows that there's no-one from Matabeleland while section 18 subsection 1. Emphasizes on fair regional representation here Matabeleland is discussed or planned in its absence.
10. Recruitment of Magistrates
11. To appoint a new Commission which is separate from National Peace and Reconciliation Commission to specifically handle the 1981 to 1987 Ndebeles genocide / Gukurahundi.
Points 1 -6 and 9, it shows your government has totally given a blind eye on section 18 subsection 2 of the Zimbabwe constitution.
All these points if taken into account make it very difficult to directly engage in dialogue over the 1981 to 1987 Ndebeles' massacre/ Gukurahundi as these points clearly indicate a sign of no sincerity over the past unhealed wounds. These points in this petition show a continuation of Ndebeles genocide this time as economic genocide.
I am aware that you may not believe the contents of this letter as my words because of my age, I am convinced after reading the contents of this letter your thinking is I have been manipulated or being used by individuals, hence i have asked some witnesses to core sign as proof that the contents in this letter are my true words.
Yours,
Core Signed as Witnesses by
Hon. Chief Maduna Chief Jahana Chief Sibasa
CC: All Chiefs in Matabeleland
All ZIPRA War Veterans
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
CHIEF VEZI MADUNA MAFU OF AVOCA FILABUSI COMMUNAL LANDS
9 October 2018
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
His Excellency President E.D. Mnangagwa
Office of the President and Cabinet
Munhumutapa Building Harare
Your Excellency Sir,
RE: PETITION OVER SECRET AND CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC MARGINALISATION OF NDEBELE PEOPLE (MATABELELAND AT LARGE) BY IMPLEMENTING THE DRACONIAN 1979 GRAND PLAN
As an elderly Chief in Matabeleland I have tried 3 consecutive times to see you privately concerning the above reference, but I have been taken for granted by your inner personnel who blocked me. I was left with no option but to write this letter. The issues that I wanted to discuss with you are:
1. Secret issuance of 17 Mining Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO) which costs $20 per ha /year in Matabeleland South e.g. the EPO for Lithium which covers Shapi-Mahongola- Gwabatema in Guyu-Ntepe-crossing Tuli river, this means we have no land as chiefs for economic devolution which you proclaimed since all mining EPOs where given to Harare guys and considering precedence Mining EPQ have over any activity in that area or land.
2. Grabbing of Prime agriculture land using fronts like (I) Trek at Maphisa. (2) Schweppes at Zhobe Dam in Beitbridge I have information whose interest these companies are serving as business fronts at the expense of the local people.
3. The selection of those who were sent to China to train in changing coal into diesel; petrol and Bitumen for the plant that is going to be assembled at Lusulu I am very much disturbed that in this team we were not consulted as Chiefs and there is no one from the communities Hwange, Binga and Lupane that has, this natural energy mineral resource (coal)
4. Composition of following the top 6 namely Minister, Deputy Minister, Permanent Secretary, Principal Director, Deputy Director from the following Ministries
1. Ministry of Local Government
2. Ministry of Information
3. Ministry of Energy
4. Ministry of Agriculture
5. Public Service Commission (Human Resources Department)
There is no one from Matabeleland is that how the new 'dispensation treats Matabeleland people after years of suffering from 1981 to 1987 Ndebeles Genocide (Gukurahundi). This has been a public talk in every Ndebele homestead kindly find time to discuss with me and my delegation issues raised in this letter. To me it proves why you have been pushing for economic devolution knowingly that behind our back as Chiefs you systematically and secretly took all strategic economic drivers, sites and minerals in Matabeleland. Mr President, My Son may you kindly correct immediately what I have raised in this letter for it is proving that you are not sincere in your regional economic devolution in Matabeleland.
7. Special Mining Concessions for Lupane Methane Gas
8. Continuous housing of Matabeleland North Provincial Minister and Provincial Administrator's Offices at Mhlahlandlela Building in Bulawayo whilst there is a complete office in Lupane hinders economic development of Matabeleland North Province. I therefore request that they move to provincial offices.
9. National Joint Operations Command (JOC) shows that there's no-one from Matabeleland while section 18 subsection 1. Emphasizes on fair regional representation here Matabeleland is discussed or planned in its absence.
10. Recruitment of Magistrates
11. To appoint a new Commission which is separate from National Peace and Reconciliation Commission to specifically handle the 1981 to 1987 Ndebeles genocide / Gukurahundi.
Points 1 -6 and 9, it shows your government has totally given a blind eye on section 18 subsection 2 of the Zimbabwe constitution.
All these points if taken into account make it very difficult to directly engage in dialogue over the 1981 to 1987 Ndebeles' massacre/ Gukurahundi as these points clearly indicate a sign of no sincerity over the past unhealed wounds. These points in this petition show a continuation of Ndebeles genocide this time as economic genocide.
I am aware that you may not believe the contents of this letter as my words because of my age, I am convinced after reading the contents of this letter your thinking is I have been manipulated or being used by individuals, hence i have asked some witnesses to core sign as proof that the contents in this letter are my true words.
Yours,
Core Signed as Witnesses by
Hon. Chief Maduna Chief Jahana Chief Sibasa
CC: All Chiefs in Matabeleland
All ZIPRA War Veterans
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Source - Chief Maduna Chief Jahana Chief Sibasa
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