The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has cast doubts over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s claims that he shares ancestral ties with people from Matabeleland dating back to King Mzilikazi.
This comes on the back of claims by President Mnangagwa over the weekend, during the installation of Dambisamahubo Mafu as Chief Maduna in Filabusi, that he and the late Chief Vezi Maduna were “close friends,” which is why he presided over the ceremony.
The president also said his great grandfather Muvengo lived in Insiza, and worked with the Maduna family.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga further disclosed that Muvengo worked in King Mzilikazi’s homestead as a youngster and later joined King Lobengula’s Imbizo regiment that fought at the iconic battle of Pupu some 127 years ago.
MRP leader, Mqondisi Moyo, on the other hand, denounced this narrative as false.
“Emmerson Mnangagwa wants to misrepresent facts about our highly respected late Chief Vezi Maduna. Ironically Chief Vezi Maduna suffered a lot under Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF four years ago,” he said, claiming that authorities had even sent Central Intelligence Operatives (CIO) to harass the late chief at his homestead.
“This was after Chief Vezi Maduna and other Chiefs such as Khulumani Mathema penned a strong worded letter to the United Nations about the plight of Mthwakazi people especially on the Gukurahundi Genocide that Emmerson Mnangagwa presided over.”
Moyo stated that he was “very much” close to the late Chief Maduna and spent a lot of time with him up until his death.
“Before the year he died, Chief Maduna openly stated to us, in front of his village heads, that he doesn’t want anything to do with Emmerson Mnangagwa or Chiwenga,” claimed the MRP leader.
“Chief Maduna told us soon after the 2017 coup, Chiwenga came to consult him on who was to be the vice president from the ZAPU side, in relation to their failed unity accord government. The old man told me he suggested Simon Khaya Moyo (now late) and they assured him that Simon Khaya Moyo will be the next vice president in Zimbabwe.”
However, the MRP leader said the late chief was shocked to learn that Kembo Mohadi had been appointed as Vice President of Zimbabwe instead.
“Because of that, Chief Maduna felt disrespected by Chiwenga and Mnangagwa and told us that he was not going to forgive them,” Moyo claimed.
Moyo went on to say when Simon Khaya Moyo found out that Chief Maduna had seconded him as vice president, he purchased him a “nice small car as a gift,” which the late chief even showed them.
Moyo further refuted President Mnangagwa’s assertion that his great grandfather Muvengo worked with the current Chief Maduna’s great grandfather, also named Dambisamahubo.
“This is another misrepresentation of facts to deceive Mthwakazi people and he is trying to run away from his genocide sins. His grandfather was nowhere near that. We know Emmerson Mnangagwa came to Zimbabwe or then Rhodesia when he was 12 years old from Zambia. It’s clear that he doesn’t understand his origins or deliberately he is trying to fool us,” alleged the MRP leader.
“Mnangagwa has to trace his history back to Zambia not in Mthwakazi.”
The MRP leader did not mince words when he stated that the president’s assertions concerning his family relations were false.
“This is another lie by the whole president of Zimbabwe. Actually, did he now know about all this family relations when he crushed Matebeleland and Midlands people through the genocide, labeling people as cockroaches who need DDT? After Mnangagwa’s utterances the following day, 55 people at Siwale in Lupane were killed by his Fifth Brigade,” he said.
Moyo speculated perhaps President Mnangawa was attempting to connect himself with the people of Matabeleland in order for them to forgive him for carrying out Gukurahundi.
“Indeed he is trying to buy the people of Matabeleland and Midlands to love him. Remember he is the chief architect of Gukurahundi and on September 12, 1981 he is the one who paid a bill of $12 983 dollars then, as the hotel upkeep for 106 military instructors who were to train the over 5 000 members of the Fifth Brigade,” summed the MRP leader.
