Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) says the preliminary finding made by the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) should not come as a surprise as the country has been holding elections fraught with irregularities since 1980.
In the same vein, MRP leader, Mqondisi Moyo noted that as a result of these electoral irregularities, Zimbabwe’s political system was mostly unfair to the people of Matabeleland.
SEOM recently condemned the August 23 election in which Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa won with 52,6 percent of the vote, for failing to meet the requirements of Zimbabwe’s own constitution and SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.
Following SEOM’s presentation, Zanu PF organised a press meeting and accused Dr Mumba of using his personal opinion to discredit the country’s elections and not reflecting the SADC electoral principles.
In a letter to SEOM Head Dr Nevers Mumba on August 31, 2023, the MRP leader first congratulated the SADC team for successfully observing the just ended harmonised elections in Zimbabwe.
Moyo stated the preliminary statement provided by SEOM was testimony that the team “gathered truthful information and disseminated it accordingly.”
“The statement is, without reservation, credible,” said the MRP leader.
However, the MRP leader said he wants to draw SEOM’s attention to the situation in the South Western part of Zimbabwe, which includes Matabeleland and Midlands provinces, otherwise known as Mthwakazi.
“I noted from your Preliminary Statement that Zimbabwean elections fell short of meeting both SADC and Zimbabwean elections guidelines in many respects. This has been the case since 1980 when the country attained independence,” Moyo said.
“But even if elections were ‘free and fair,’ Zimbabwean politics would still remain grossly unfair to the people of Mthwakazi.”
Moyo said in November 1893, people in Matabeleland, which was then an independent state then, suffered military subjugation by the British South Africa Company forces.
“In 1923, we suffered yet another demise, the forceful amalgamation of our country with Mashonaland. In 1980, our colonial status was transferred from Britain to Zimbabwe,” he stated, adding that people in Matabeleland endured a Zimbabwean government-led genocide between 1982 and 1987.
“About 40 000 of our people perished. It is sad that SADC didn’t bother to pay any attention to what was happening in Mthwakazi. That was despite its role of ensuring the safety of people in Southern Africa.”
The MRP leader said the suffering of people in Matabeleland is ongoing, taking several forms of systematic discrimination.
“The discrimination is ethnic- based. We are told daily by deed and word of mouth that we are not Zimbabwean,” Moyo claimed.
Moyo cited that for instance, the delimitation of constituencies in Zimbabwe disadvantages people in Matabeleland in “painful ways.”
“It is such that very few people represent us in Parliament. This further means that few people will question the massive transfer of our resources to Mashonaland,” said the MRP leader.
“Few voices will challenge bringing in of manpower from Mashonaland to Mthwakazi, and so forth.”
The MRP leader claimed his party has written to SADC more than once regarding the predicament of people in Matabeleland but to no avail.
“We also wrote to the former Zambian president, His Excellency Edgar Lungu, and current president, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema about the matter, again to no avail. Your Excellency, the people of Mthwakazi can not continue to bear the burden of oppression by people of Mashonaland in the full view of SADC,” he said, stating that SADC was formed to protect the people of Southern Africa and make sure their welfare is guaranteed, not only that of the region’s governments.”
Moyo added: “We need the intervention of SADC,” and implored Dr Mumba to consider “facilitating the self-determination of Mthwakazi people. We once were an independent nation. We can be independent again. Our survival within Zimbabwe is not guaranteed.”
“I hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience regarding the aforementioned,” said the MRP leader as he concluded his letter.
