Mthwakazi concerns are genuine

HARARE - The secessionist agenda by Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) should be taken serious because it is a reflection of the sentiments and frustrations of people in Matabeleland, analysts have said. MLF has been demanding secession from Zimbabwe, saying the Matabeleland and Midlands regions have been marginalised since 1893 when whites colonised the country. The group wants the separate country to be called Mthwakazi. This political inclination by the group has courted criticism and favour from different quarters, with some saying this is a regional agenda detrimental to national aspirations while others say it is a credible argument based on evidence on the ground. Effie Ncube, a political analyst based in Bulawayo said the MLF stance was a reflection of the frustrations of the Ndebele people as the Matabeleland region has been marginalised for too long. “The position of Paul Siwela (one of MLF leaders) is a reflection of the feeling of marginalisation that is distributed all over Matabeleland. “The government has not taken the matter seriously. It does not matter who advances the agenda but it is a sentiment that is shared by most Ndebele people,” Ncube told the Daily News on Sunday. Ncube added that the secession agenda should be openly discussed because thwarting the subject would not help the country move forward. “Whether or not the nation is split into two must be open for debate. In a free democracy ideas are discussed openly and solutions are found. “We have to begin interrogating why Siwela and others believe in the separation of the country. It doesn’t help to arrest them and ignore their agenda. The issue must be tackled head-on instead of being thrashed,” he said. Playwright and political commentator Cont Mhlanga said secession was not the best way forward because MLF was reacting to effects rather than causes. “I feel splitting of the nation is not the solution. The Mthwakazi guys are dealing with the effects rather than causes. People who go into government tend to fail to decentralise thinking, visions and missions and that is the reason why people are clamouring for the split,” Mhlanga said. He added: “However, Siwela and his fellows should be taken serious because why are they demanding the split 32 years after independence? Why did not they demand it immediately after independence? “The people have been patient, patient and patient hoping that their demands will be met. The government has been carelessly marginalising regions and this is a seed for a future civil war. This needs to be addressed because I believe in tackling causes rather than the effects.” Siwela said the Mthwakazi issue was a preserve of people of Midlands and Matabeleland. He said those outside the two provinces were foreigners who had no business dictating what needed to be done in Mthwakazi. “Zimbabweans are led by a dictator and they are coming to our state to dictate to us what needs to be done. In as far as we are concerned the Mthwakazi debate is confined to Matabeleland and Midlands. Any other outsider who comes with his/her own opinion is an outcast,” Siwela said