No one must come to Matabeleland bragging that they fought in a war that brought about Zimbabwe independence. The Zimbabwe independence struggle produced the tribal Shona supremacist government that is one thousand times worse and more cruel than the Smith administration. Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s diabolical ways against Matabeles in post colonial era make Ian Smith look like an archangel.
Since 1893 Matabeleland has fallen under two oppressive regimes. The first one was the white minority government that looked after the interests of the white people. The second and the current one is the black Shona supremacist government that looks after the interests of the Shona people only.
It is our testimony in Matabeleland that oppression has no colour, race or tribe. We confirm with tangible evidence that minorities can oppress majorities and majorities can oppress minorities.
In the so called Independent Zimbabwe and under the Shona supremacist government, we have lost more than 40 000 innocent unarmed Matabele civilians, more than 100 000 Matabele women raped, more than 100 000 homes burnt down, more than 300 000 Matabeles tortured and maimed and more than million displaced into South Africa, Botswana and beyond. This happened at the hands of the Zimbabwe National Army 5th Brigade which was intentionally deployed by the luciferian government of Zimbabwe with the instruction to exterminate Matabeles.
Ian Smith’s government, even under the pressure of the Rhodesian war that lasted for about 16 years, never murdered so many innocent Matabele civilians. The level of Shona supremacist government tribal hatred and savegery against Matabeles cannot be matched by any white minority administration one can think of. The intention of the Shona supremacist government was and still is to wipe out Matabele nation out of the face of earth.
The economy was stable under the Smith regime and that is a stubborn fact that the Shona supremacist oppressors must humbly accept. Economically, Rhodesia was the Europe of Africa while Zimbabwe is a stone age economy. This is the truth that is known around the world.
Julius Nyerere, late President of Tanzania, expressed little veiled doubt on the Shona supremacists government. He said to Mugabe, after he took power in Zimbabwe, “you have inherited an African jewel, please keep it that way”.
But his words fell on deaf ears. Right from the word go, it was one corruption scandal after the other.
The following is a list of reported corruption scandals in Zimbabwe since 1980:
1) 1987 – Zisco Steel blast Furnace Scandal
2) 1987 – Air Zimbabwe Fokker Plane Scandal – $ 100 million
3) 1986 – National Railways Housing Scandal
4) 1988 – Willowgate Scandal
6) 1989 – ZRP Santana Scandal
7)1994 – War Victims Compensation Scandal
8)1995 – GMB Grain Scandal
9)1996 – VIP Housing Scandal
10) 1998 – Boka Banking Scandal
11) 1998 – ZESA YTL Soltran Scandal
12) 1998 – Telecel Scandal
13) 1998 – Harare City Council Refuse Tender Scandal
14) 1999 – Housing Loan Scandal
15) 1999 – Noczim Scandal
16) 1999 – Mnangagwa DRC timber and diamond Un reported scandals
17) 1999 – GMB Scandal
18) 1999 – Ministry of water and rural development Chinese tender scandal
19) 1999 – VIP Land Grab Scandal
20) 2001 – Harare Airport Scandal
21) 2008-2014 – Airport Road Scandal
22) 2016 – Mnangagwa Command Agriculture Scandal
23) 2018 -Zesa scam Involving Samuel Undenge’s criminal abuse
of office
24) 2020 Zimbabwe first family gold smuggling scandal- involving first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son Collins Mnangagwa.
The African jewel was turned into a failed state without its own currency. The bread- basket of Africa became a basket case of the world as the economy took a nose dive due to corruption and incompetence.
The manufacturing industry second only to that of South Africa that was built by the whites collapsed. The world class infrastructure inherited from the Smith regime crumbled. Many state owned enterprises that used to be the pride of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe are in a state of paralysis or totally dysfunctional. Where is the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Cold Storage Commission, Air Zimbabwe and many others?
In its 42nd year of its independence, Zimbabwe is a stone age economy deserted by its own people with nearly half of its population living as political and economic refugees in foreign countries. Neighbouring countries like South Africa, Botswana and Zambia are over- flooded by Zimbabwe immigrants that are now a heavy economic burden in those countries causing xenophobia and political instability especially in South Africa. This is humiliating for a country which is not at war. But Shona supremacists, as shameless as they are, treat this serious matter with ignorance and empty arrogance.
In the contrary, Rhodesia was never deserted by the masses of this magnitude, not even during the fearce Rhodesian war. Only leaders of the liberation war and those who later became members of the liberation armies left Rhodesia mainly for the purposes of the struggle and nothing else.
This is evidence that in a country where the economy is stable and there is food on the table, people would not leave even when there is a raging war. But people would desert a peaceful but economic unstable country in their masses and choose to live as economic refugees in the foreign countries than face hunger and poverty.
The biblical Israelites said to Moses and Aaron , “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Zimbabwe is an economic desert!
Even the Shona people who claim to be owners of Zimbabwe are now telling the truth. “Love him, or hate him – his administration, as repressive and segregatory as it was, has proven to have been far much better, and outclassed and outshined our so-called “majority government” – to the point of making what was otherwise, a notorious despicable racist establishment, appear like angels from the heavens” , wrote Ruben Mbofana.
The promised Canaan has turned out to be an economic desert, slaughter house and place of tribal oppression for Matabele people.
The sooner Matabeles leave Zimbabwe, the better.
Izenzo kungemazwi!
Israel Dube
MLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs
