Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) says the African National Congress (ANC) delegation due in Harare, Tuesday, for talks, over the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe must also travel to other parts of the country for a holistic view on issues affecting citizens.
The ANC delegation led by its Secretary General, Ace Magashule is expected to meet a delegation from the ruling party, Zanu PF and government officials.
In early August, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, dispatched special envoys to engage the Zimbabwean government as part of attempts to intervene in the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the neighbouring country.
The envoys only met government officials and was widely criticised for snubbing opposition political parties and other stakeholders.
Read: http://cite.org.zw/opposition-parties-disappointed-over-sa-envoys-snub/
This time around President Ramaphosa said the delegation should have the opportunity of meeting other stakeholders in Zimbabwe.
“Clearly it is important that we have as broad a view of what is happening in Zimbabwe as we possibly can,” Ramaphosa was quoted as saying by South African media.
It is against that backdrop that MRP leader, Mqondisi Moyo, said people of Matabeleland also need to present their own views on issues affecting them.
“We cannot allow this opportunity to elude us as people of Matabeleland. We need to present our own story and be heard,” he said.
MRP also wrote a nine-page letter to Ramaphosa on August 28, 2020 seeking audience with his envoys on Matabeleland issues.
“On the other hand if we are to be part of these talks, we wouldn’t be comfortable if they are held in Harare, where we feel our oppressors will be in their home ground, resultantly the playing field won’t be level. We will love to have a scenario where there is a neutral venue, where Zanu-PF will not be allowed to be seen dictating the pace,” Moyo said.
He stressed that the SA delegation must stand firm and make sure it presides over the crisis talks.
“Allowing Zanu-PF to call the shots or take pace would be just as good as nothing done to solve this problem that we feel has been created by Zanu-PF. Therefore, they cannot be seen dictating pace when they are one who are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s problem,” the MRP leader said.
“We have a Matabeleland question that has never been answered since 1923 up to to this day. Over the years, the development of the Matabeleland has actually regressed to pre-colonial times with mass marginalisation, lack of schools, joblessness, human rights violations, malnutrition of children.
Moyo added: “This happens on the background of the 1979 grand plan by Zanu that seeks to oppress Matabeleland taking over its resources, land, jobs in civil service even those in menial labour.”
The MRP leader added that Matabeleland needs to tell its own story of atrocities perpetrated by the government.
“We suffered a genocide between 1983 and 1987 through the Zanu-PF government, while Mnangagwa during the genocide was state security minister. We are saying this is the same government who killed people unprovoked through the facilitation of Britain, which is why we need to tell our story as people of Midlands and Matabeleland.
“It is unfortunate that ANC now recognises Zanu-PF yet these are people who derailed South Africa’s independence. Zanu worked with PAC and the apartheid government supressing and derailing the black majority yet ANC through its military wing – Umkhonto weSizwe worked with ZAPU and ZPRA. Zanu masterminded the confiscation of Umkhonto weSizwe weapons that were kept by ZPRA and ZAPU and even called for the arrest and death of Umkhonto weSizwe who were operating from Zimbabwe,” he claimed.
