Opinion / Letters
Open letter to Honourable Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko
03 Mar 2015 at 15:38hrs | Views
EDITOR,
Honourable Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, firstly allow me to congratulate you on your election and elevation to the position of Vice-President of Zimbabwe and also to be in charge of one of the most sensitive and very important government tasks, that of healing and reconciliation.
Baba Mphoko, allow me a simple and ordinary citizen of Matabeleland South, to address you regarding the Maleme Ranch issue in Matobo District
Let me explain to you Sir that my interests in the Maleme issue are due to a number of reasons that are very dear and passionate to my being.
Firstly, to me Maleme Ranch is a place of spiritual growth and development through the Shalom Campsite. During my days of school, Honourable, attending the Scripture Union camps at Shalom was more esteemed than Christmas clothes to some of us young Christians of that time. We would go there Sir and come back fired up spiritually and believe you me, the entire holiday my parents would deal with less of mischief from me and my friends who were graduates of the camp.
I believe am speaking not only for myself but also on behalf of hundreds of thousands of students and scripture union members that attended Shalom Camps. Some of them are now Bishops, pastors and evangelists leading big congregations in this country.
Shalom is therefore a place of spiritual significance as well as a crime reduction centre in Zimbabwe.
Secondly, having been born in Gwanda (Matabeleland South) I have seen the lives of some of my comrades from Gwanda District being transformed by the Ebenezer Agriculture College at Maleme Ranch, thus creating employment for my kinsman. I have also witnessed my Matobo neighbours being equipped and transformed by this ranch and have wished for God's blessing to pick a bag of money and replicate the concept in every District of the dry Matabeleland South province.
I have seen people from other provinces being trained at Ebenezer, including people of Shona origin and roots - you see that's part of unity, reconciliation and healing to embrace each other regardless of tribe.
Thirdly, as a development worker, I have never seen anywhere in our sovereign and independent Zimbabwe where there is an initiative that benefits ordinary, simple villagers so much as the Maleme Ranch. You will agree with me that even the government, which you are Vice-President of does not have the capacity and capability to give a simple ordinary 63-year-old woman $1,000 every six weeks just for breeding chickens. My calculations Sir are that within the vicinity of Maleme Ranch, there is a circulation of more than $88,000 every six weeks and this money is being earned by ordinary villagers that government is giving pension benefits of $50 per month.
In all your travelling as a freedom fighter, as an Ambassador, as an excellent businessman and as Vice- President of Zimbabwe, where have you met such kind of empowerment?
Lastly, as a former teacher, it pains me to watch in dismay as one crushes the lives of more than 250 students because of just wanting to own a piece of land.
According to a survey conducted by Education First Campaign, there are more than 250 students going to school and being supported by the activities of Maleme Ranch. Some of these innocent children are dependants of chicken out-growers projects as well as dependants of the form workers. Just imagine what will happen to these children once the farm is taken and given to this one individual Surely common sense can predict that this will decrease their chances of accessing education as their parents and guardians cannot pay for their education. And what happens next? We increase the number of illegal border jumpers, illegal gold panners, prostitutes and thieves, and it will also magnify a myth by some of our age mates from Harare that we don't like to learn.
Yours Sincerely,
Khumbulani Maphosa
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(Khumbulani Maphosa is a Christian development worker, an evangelist and author based in Bulawayo. He can be contacted on: maphosakhumbulani@ gmail.com).
Honourable Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, firstly allow me to congratulate you on your election and elevation to the position of Vice-President of Zimbabwe and also to be in charge of one of the most sensitive and very important government tasks, that of healing and reconciliation.
Baba Mphoko, allow me a simple and ordinary citizen of Matabeleland South, to address you regarding the Maleme Ranch issue in Matobo District
Let me explain to you Sir that my interests in the Maleme issue are due to a number of reasons that are very dear and passionate to my being.
Firstly, to me Maleme Ranch is a place of spiritual growth and development through the Shalom Campsite. During my days of school, Honourable, attending the Scripture Union camps at Shalom was more esteemed than Christmas clothes to some of us young Christians of that time. We would go there Sir and come back fired up spiritually and believe you me, the entire holiday my parents would deal with less of mischief from me and my friends who were graduates of the camp.
I believe am speaking not only for myself but also on behalf of hundreds of thousands of students and scripture union members that attended Shalom Camps. Some of them are now Bishops, pastors and evangelists leading big congregations in this country.
Shalom is therefore a place of spiritual significance as well as a crime reduction centre in Zimbabwe.
Secondly, having been born in Gwanda (Matabeleland South) I have seen the lives of some of my comrades from Gwanda District being transformed by the Ebenezer Agriculture College at Maleme Ranch, thus creating employment for my kinsman. I have also witnessed my Matobo neighbours being equipped and transformed by this ranch and have wished for God's blessing to pick a bag of money and replicate the concept in every District of the dry Matabeleland South province.
I have seen people from other provinces being trained at Ebenezer, including people of Shona origin and roots - you see that's part of unity, reconciliation and healing to embrace each other regardless of tribe.
Thirdly, as a development worker, I have never seen anywhere in our sovereign and independent Zimbabwe where there is an initiative that benefits ordinary, simple villagers so much as the Maleme Ranch. You will agree with me that even the government, which you are Vice-President of does not have the capacity and capability to give a simple ordinary 63-year-old woman $1,000 every six weeks just for breeding chickens. My calculations Sir are that within the vicinity of Maleme Ranch, there is a circulation of more than $88,000 every six weeks and this money is being earned by ordinary villagers that government is giving pension benefits of $50 per month.
In all your travelling as a freedom fighter, as an Ambassador, as an excellent businessman and as Vice- President of Zimbabwe, where have you met such kind of empowerment?
Lastly, as a former teacher, it pains me to watch in dismay as one crushes the lives of more than 250 students because of just wanting to own a piece of land.
According to a survey conducted by Education First Campaign, there are more than 250 students going to school and being supported by the activities of Maleme Ranch. Some of these innocent children are dependants of chicken out-growers projects as well as dependants of the form workers. Just imagine what will happen to these children once the farm is taken and given to this one individual Surely common sense can predict that this will decrease their chances of accessing education as their parents and guardians cannot pay for their education. And what happens next? We increase the number of illegal border jumpers, illegal gold panners, prostitutes and thieves, and it will also magnify a myth by some of our age mates from Harare that we don't like to learn.
Yours Sincerely,
Khumbulani Maphosa
----------------
(Khumbulani Maphosa is a Christian development worker, an evangelist and author based in Bulawayo. He can be contacted on: maphosakhumbulani@ gmail.com).
Source - Khumbulani Maphosa
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