News / National
Zapu blast tribal ZBC presenters
10 Jan 2024 at 10:24hrs | Views
ZAPU spokesperson Richard Gandari has blasted the ZBC presenters who made tribal attacks on the Ndebele King LObengula live on TV claiming he was depicted to sell the country to colonialists through the use of sugar.
The remarks have since led to their suspension from work after the social media went viral with people attacking and blasting them for using the State broadcaster to push their unproven tribal myth about the late King.
Gandari described their remarks as a disgust, a disturbing.
"The short clip that surfaced on social media platforms yesterday has caused an uproar and widespread condemnation from large sections of online users. ZAPU equally condemns the abhorrent statements made by the featured co-presenters who clearly demonstrate two acute cases of mental slavery. What makes it worse is that the presenters represent darker forces behind the scenes, responsible for scripting and airing their tribal remarks," he said.
"There is a bloated production team at ZBC responsible for green-lighting such a poisonous show to be produced and broadcast using money drawn from taxpayers. Heads should roll at ZBC. It must be noted that the trend of denigrating King Lobengula for signing the Moffat Treaty and Rudd Concession in 1888 did not start with this video clip under review. It is a well sustained trend that dates back to the Second Chimurenga when tribalism began to polarize ZANLA versus ZPRA combatants. That is when King Lobengula was singled out for allegedly selling Zimbabwe for a bit of sugar and a mirror."
Gandari said this narrative, tragically repeated for the umpteenth time by one Victoria Manase on The Good Morning Zimbabwe show, is not only fueled by tribal prejudice but a nefarious agenda to keep Zimbabweans divided along ethnic lines.
"The sugar-and-mirror story is openly taught in many elementary schools in Zimbabwe by successive generations of teachers who also grew up on the same lie. Frantic Efforts made King Lobengula to disavow his signature from the Rudd Concession are completely ignored, as young minds are poisoned into believing that the Ndebele King and by extension his Ndebele subjects, were sellouts whose actions brought colonialism on Zimbabwe," he said.
"Unless this narrative is challenged Zimbabweans will easily remain divided along tribal lines. At the end of last year, our ZAPU President issued a public statement in which he called for tribalism to be "criminalized and banished from our lives." If such legal remedies were in place, Good Morning Zimbabwe's toxic episode would have amounted to a criminal offense. That is how ZAPU seriously treats this societal cancer called tribalism. Apart from denigrating King Lobengula, one of the co-presenters, Farai Juliet Magada, also claims that colonialism was a necessary evil."
Handari said the central role of our state broadcaster must be anchored on nation building and fostering national cohesion.
"How the disgraceful co-presenters of Good Morning Zimbabwe could nonchalantly laugh as they disparaged the memory of King Lobengula while extolling the ‘benefits' of colonialism beggar belief. There is no explanation for their impunity apart from either dereliction of their superiors' gatekeeping duties or their sinister collusion. No wonder so many Zimbabweans have been alienated from ZBC, the state-controlled broadcaster in charge of telling the Zimbabwean story. What a tragedy of epic proportions when ZBC TV has fallen to such unimaginably low levels," he said.
"This is the cost of having no truly independent television stations, 43 years after independence. This tragic episode is yet another sad reminder that a more holistic solution is needed to eradicate tribalism from Zimbabwe. As ZAPU we believe that the first line of defense against tribalism in Zimbabwe is the teaching of a true and correct version of history. Our textbooks and school curriculum should be scrutinized and agreed upon by various stakeholders drawn from all walks of life."
The Zapu spin doctor noted that genuine historians and African storytellers must be empowered to produce impeccable works of academic writings that will be used for teacher training institutions as well as schools in general.
"Some of our current textbooks are based on narratives established by our erstwhile colonizers. Our children must be saved from perpetuating any biased narratives that promote one tribe while disparaging another. We believe in the unconditional parity of all tribes and all indigenous languages in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, a ZAPU-led government would eliminate the naming of our country's provinces along tribal lines," he said.
"ZAPU at the helm of government would promote geographical notations like Central, Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western for our administrative provinces. These are deliberate changes that ZAPU would spearhead to crush the serpent head of tribalism once and for all. Zimbabwe is just one ZAPU administration away from genuine national cohesion and practical devolution of power. This great country under ZAPU shall know a new birth of freedom, in which King Lobengula and Emperor Munhumutapa are equally revered."
The remarks have since led to their suspension from work after the social media went viral with people attacking and blasting them for using the State broadcaster to push their unproven tribal myth about the late King.
Gandari described their remarks as a disgust, a disturbing.
"The short clip that surfaced on social media platforms yesterday has caused an uproar and widespread condemnation from large sections of online users. ZAPU equally condemns the abhorrent statements made by the featured co-presenters who clearly demonstrate two acute cases of mental slavery. What makes it worse is that the presenters represent darker forces behind the scenes, responsible for scripting and airing their tribal remarks," he said.
"There is a bloated production team at ZBC responsible for green-lighting such a poisonous show to be produced and broadcast using money drawn from taxpayers. Heads should roll at ZBC. It must be noted that the trend of denigrating King Lobengula for signing the Moffat Treaty and Rudd Concession in 1888 did not start with this video clip under review. It is a well sustained trend that dates back to the Second Chimurenga when tribalism began to polarize ZANLA versus ZPRA combatants. That is when King Lobengula was singled out for allegedly selling Zimbabwe for a bit of sugar and a mirror."
Gandari said this narrative, tragically repeated for the umpteenth time by one Victoria Manase on The Good Morning Zimbabwe show, is not only fueled by tribal prejudice but a nefarious agenda to keep Zimbabweans divided along ethnic lines.
"The sugar-and-mirror story is openly taught in many elementary schools in Zimbabwe by successive generations of teachers who also grew up on the same lie. Frantic Efforts made King Lobengula to disavow his signature from the Rudd Concession are completely ignored, as young minds are poisoned into believing that the Ndebele King and by extension his Ndebele subjects, were sellouts whose actions brought colonialism on Zimbabwe," he said.
"Unless this narrative is challenged Zimbabweans will easily remain divided along tribal lines. At the end of last year, our ZAPU President issued a public statement in which he called for tribalism to be "criminalized and banished from our lives." If such legal remedies were in place, Good Morning Zimbabwe's toxic episode would have amounted to a criminal offense. That is how ZAPU seriously treats this societal cancer called tribalism. Apart from denigrating King Lobengula, one of the co-presenters, Farai Juliet Magada, also claims that colonialism was a necessary evil."
Handari said the central role of our state broadcaster must be anchored on nation building and fostering national cohesion.
"How the disgraceful co-presenters of Good Morning Zimbabwe could nonchalantly laugh as they disparaged the memory of King Lobengula while extolling the ‘benefits' of colonialism beggar belief. There is no explanation for their impunity apart from either dereliction of their superiors' gatekeeping duties or their sinister collusion. No wonder so many Zimbabweans have been alienated from ZBC, the state-controlled broadcaster in charge of telling the Zimbabwean story. What a tragedy of epic proportions when ZBC TV has fallen to such unimaginably low levels," he said.
"This is the cost of having no truly independent television stations, 43 years after independence. This tragic episode is yet another sad reminder that a more holistic solution is needed to eradicate tribalism from Zimbabwe. As ZAPU we believe that the first line of defense against tribalism in Zimbabwe is the teaching of a true and correct version of history. Our textbooks and school curriculum should be scrutinized and agreed upon by various stakeholders drawn from all walks of life."
The Zapu spin doctor noted that genuine historians and African storytellers must be empowered to produce impeccable works of academic writings that will be used for teacher training institutions as well as schools in general.
"Some of our current textbooks are based on narratives established by our erstwhile colonizers. Our children must be saved from perpetuating any biased narratives that promote one tribe while disparaging another. We believe in the unconditional parity of all tribes and all indigenous languages in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, a ZAPU-led government would eliminate the naming of our country's provinces along tribal lines," he said.
"ZAPU at the helm of government would promote geographical notations like Central, Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western for our administrative provinces. These are deliberate changes that ZAPU would spearhead to crush the serpent head of tribalism once and for all. Zimbabwe is just one ZAPU administration away from genuine national cohesion and practical devolution of power. This great country under ZAPU shall know a new birth of freedom, in which King Lobengula and Emperor Munhumutapa are equally revered."
Source - Byo24News
