Political analysts in Matabeleland say there is need for different political voices in the region amid calls for the formation of one political party to advance the interests of the region.
This comes after some residents who attended Matabeleland dialogue held on Friday, called for the different regional political parties to amalgamate into one political entity.
In an interview with CITE, Dumisani Mpofu, a political analyst said forming one political party from Matabeleland would be difficult as most people have diverse interests.
“In terms of Matabeleland, people think it is homogenous but parties are hetergenous,” said Mpofu.
He said forming one political party is not as easy as people think it is because most parties are formed through ethnic backgrounds
“There are different ethical dimensions that would make it difficult for parties to come together and form one party, as we speak Matabeleland has about nine different languages, said Mpofu.
He said ZAPU managed to be an influential political party in Matabeleland due to the same interests that people had, however this has changed.
“ZAPU is no longer as influential in Matabeleland the way it used to be, this is because people nowadays are affected by different issues,” said Mpofu.
He also added that ZAPU leadership changes are not a common phenomenon and they are largely controlled by a monarchy.
The analyst also said power struggles in various political parties and marginalization may hinder the formation of one political party.
“Already there are inadequate resources in Matabeleland, with the little that is there and some regions more developed than others, people will group each other under poverty and fight those they think are pursing the Harare mentality,” said Mpofu.
Meanwhile, Mbuso Fuzwayo, secretary- general of civil rights group Ibhetshu LikaZulu, said forming one political party in Matabeleland would require people to swallow their pride.
“People have to agree why they will form one party and what they are planning on achieving, we must desist from the mentality of reacting to other tribes and do things for ourselves,” said Fuzwayo.
“Since 2005 there have been many parties formed and more will come, if people are serious are about this there should be more action and less talking”.
He added: “As Matabeleland are we prepared to be led and listen to someone else’s views, others think their views are more important than others and will choose to ignore.”
