Joshua's name abused!

So, Mujuru has apologized for insulting Father Zimbabwe? No, wait a bit; Mujuru, according to the news, came short of apologizing. Uphose waxolisa – but the Zanu pride and arrogance stopped her right there! Then she hastened to blame us for being 'misled and hoodwinked' by the papers. But, if I remember well, these were the same papers who celebrated Mujuru calling Joshua Nkomo a 'senile old man', just as they celebrated the massacre, in cold blood, of tens of thousands of Ndebele people by Zanu. Even if she had apologized, it would have been, as they say, too little too late! Well, that is not the issue here, because no one expects Zanu to apologize for all the deliberate omissions and commissions against the people of Matabeleland ever!

June 16 here, I observed, is a truly national holiday. I saw a number of different party representatives placing wreaths on the grave of the most famous of the youth that were mauled down by apartheid police in 1976 – Petersen something. It demonstrated that we might have different views on how to run our different parties but we have a common purpose and destiny as a nation. And that is the inalienable truth! I have also seen the official opposition, the DA, use Nelson Mandela in their quest for votes.

It brings forth the question whether the South Africans are living to the ideals that Mandela fought for? Mandela is not a property of the ANC; he transcends beyond tribal and party politics. He represents the dreams of the young and the old, rich and the poor, the good and the bad, and that of the oppressed and the downtrodden of this world. The ANC does not hoodwink potential voters using posters of Mandela. They place the current president's head on all posters as they canvass for votes. They know, of course, that Mandela is history and he must not be invoked to fight the battles the living. He did his bit; it is our duty to preserve whatever legacy he left, and build on it while we still can. And, incidentally, it is his ideals that still keep the present ANC  leadership under so much pressure as the populace keep reminding them, this is not Mandela fought for.

Meanwhile, across the border you know there is an election pending when the ruling party, which owns everything national, invokes Nkomo's name. They have found it so enjoyable not only to abuse Nkomo all his life but to continue to abuse him from his grave, something I personally find not only annoying but also disgusting! To quote Mujuru, I am sorry that my people are 'hoodwinked and misled' in the name of their most beloved Hero.

Zanu has claimed sole ownership of all things national; be it the national anthem, national army, national police, heroes' acre, national holidays and national heroes. For instance, what is the common man's first reaction when a soldier appears or when they see a policeman? And, what do you think would happen if any of the opposition parties painted Nkomo's picture in any of their campaign material, or flighted the same on TV? What would happen if any opposition party held a rally at the heroes' acre – yes, because those heroes fought to liberate all Zimbabweans, and not just one party? Yes, during the war of liberation, we all suffered, fleeing the enemy and supporting the freedom fighters the best we could. It was not just Zanu people that suffered.

Nkomo was aware of that – hence he fought the urge to be selfish and tribal and encouraged every Zimbabwean to be empowered economically, regardless of tribe, party allegiance or religious beliefs. Every citizen deserved a chance, according to him. If I may ask, is it the same mentality that prevails in Zanu then and now? How do they justify their use of a man whose dreams and ideals they are still so opposed to? Ok, after hoodwinking us to vote for them in the name of Nkomo, what do they do for us, as Nkomo's supporters, to honuor him? One can't even erect a statue in honuor of Nkomo anywhere without these people's approval. As people that lost our loved ones during the Gukurawundi insanity, are we allowed commemorate this fateful event? I know Nkomo would love to see us do this. But people like Mujuru and her Zanu would never allow it. If you look around the Matabeleland region, do you think this neglect, poverty, abuse, dilapidation – is what Nkomo had in mind about his people? Is this not perpetuating the many, some unprintable, insults that they threw at him every day of his political life? If Mujuru, as she claims now, regarded Nkomo as her father, what did she do to stop her party from hounding Nkomo and his supporters? Nkomo is her father now because she needs votes so desperately?  And, as you shall see, she will talk about Nkomo just like they have done in zanu since Nkomo death. Nkomo this Nkomo that Nkomo the other! Nonsense!

And to all of you Matabele – please stop helping these people insult your beloved leader. Bebengamthandi ephila, and lamanje abamthandi, they are just using him to 'hoodwink' you. If you want to vote for Zanu, please do so from your own free will, not because Nkomo this or Nkomo that. In other words, let us stop doing things under the pretext of doing it for Nkomo. We are abusing our hero and his legacy. Nkomo, may his brave, national soul rest in eternal peace, died almost a dozen years ago. He is a coward who expects a dead man to fight his own battles! Banjalo lababantu. They know they can never win any vote in Matabeleland without the help from Nkomo. We still hold him in awe and wouldn't want to disappoint him – Zanu has taken advantage of this and they know it.

Uyaphika? Why bengakhulumi ngo Tongogara or any of their other leaders ema Ndebeleni? Further, Ndebele people are so loyal to their kings, past and present. So if a stranger shouts the name of any of their kings, the Ndebele will shake his hand, give him a chair, offer him meat and beer, and accept him as one of their own. Our loyalty and allegiance is being taken advantage of, and for granted afterwards. I know, we are so desperate to see Zanu gone but we should learn to shun anyone who holds the name of Joshua Nkomo in vain!

Ngiyabonga mina!