THE government was last night accused of trashing the legacy of Joshua Nkomo over its insistence on erecting his statue at the Karigamombe Centre in Harare.
Historian Phathisa Nyathi said the choice of Karigamombe -- which means felling a bull -- smacked of ZANU PF triumphalism over the late Vice President’s ZAPU party whose symbol was a bull.
Nyathi said: “The problem comes with the name of the building. In some people’s minds and in the context of ZANU and PF-ZAPU, Karigamombe building symbolises supremacy over Dr Nkomo.
“It’s surprising that that someone would want to put the statue next to a building associated with the downfall of Nkomo.”
Construction was continuing at the site during the week with work-men completing the pedestal on which the statue would stand suggesting the government, which is working on the project with the Harare City Council, was not contemplating its relocation.
Nyathi said Harare has several more appropriate and inoffensive places to site the statue which is being put up in honour of Nkomo.
“There are many places in Harare where you can put that statue, because the family is not complaining about the statue, but the place where it will be erected.
“The idea is good but the place is totally wrong (and) for me, the most appropriate place for the statue would have been Africa Unity Square,” he said.
Nkomo’s daughter, Thandiwe, said the name Karigamombe connoted the supposed defeat of her father and the PF ZAPU party.
The family said it was disappointed ex-PF ZAPU members were not standing up for Nkomo’s honour by demanding the relocation of the statue.
But Joshua Malinga, a member of the ZANU PF politburo, said the government should respect the views of Nkomo’s family.
“My feeling is that the Nkomo family have a right to complain. The history of Karigamombe is still fresh in the minds of many people, so it is not appropriate for the statue to be placed there.
“If the family has a right to decide where he should be buried then they should have a right to say where his statue should be,” he said.
Nkomo died in July 1999 and is buried at the Heroes’ shrine in Harare.
The PF ZAPU leader led his party into a unity pact with ZANU PF in 1987 having opposed President Robert Mugabe from independence in 1980.