AN MP has claimed that war veterans have unleashed a wave of violence in Masvingo because the dominant Karanga tribe in the province is considered “not Zimbabwean” enough.
In extraordinary exchanges on Tuesday, Zimbabwe’s parliament heard how war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was “harassing and threatening” residents in Zaka district under an operation code-named “Budiranai Pachena” [Let's Tell Each Other The Truth].
Budiranai Pachena, said Zaka West MP Festus Dumbu [MDC-T], had seen villagers being forced to attend meetings where Sibanda “teaches them why war veterans fought in the country’s liberation war.”
And in an emotion-tinged outburst, Kambuzuma MP Willias Madzimure [MDC-T] claimed that the targeting of Masvingo residents was part of a long-term Zanu PF strategy to sideline and terrorise the Karanga tribe.
“Makaranga have been abused more than enough and I’m actually aggrieved because my own parents and relatives are being harassed and threatened, some are beaten up and others are even killed,” Madzimure charged.
He sarcastically suggested that some provinces had been spared the violence because they were “smart people” and “true Zimbabweans”.
“The rest of us, we are not Zimbabweans,” the MP said. “That is exactly what we see in the dynamics of the ruling of this country. There are people who are special and we are talking about it openly because it has continued to happen and it cannot be allowed to continuously happen.”
Madimure lashed out at fellow Karangas in the Zanu PF politburo for failing to stand up for their tribesman, declaring: “We have figure-heads here who think that they were put in the [Zanu PF] politburo and now they are super Karangas. They are not. So, if it is affecting us (violence), it must affect us all.”
Dumbu told MPs that on Monday this week, the Zaka Education Officer identified only as a Mr Chikwange force-marched school headmasters to Sibanda’s meetings where they were threatened with death should Zanu PF lose in elections with President Robert Mugabe says will be held next year.
Only two weeks ago, said Dumbu, Chief Bota from that area held a memorial service for his first-born daughter who was murdered by alleged Zanu PF militants during the 2008 elections.
“While people are trying to heal their wounds, Zanu PF sends mubvandiripo(literally means ‘wake up there’, figuratively means ‘illegitimate child’) Jabulani Sibanda to terrorise the Zaka people,” said Dumbu.
“The most painful part is that Jabulani Sibanda is very discourteous … he has no code and no law of survival as a human being. He is an insult to the Ndebele people.”
The MP alleged that Sibanda was force-marching kraal-heads, civil servants and chiefs to his meetings.
“People no longer have any space for their freedom because they are being force-marched to Sibanda's meetings. At the meetings, there comes this mubvandiripo who delivers his speech under the guise of the Operation Budiranai Pachena.”
President Robert Mugabe says the country could go to the polls as early as next year, amid fears by opposition parties that his Zanu PF party wants elections before constitutional measures are put in place which would guarantee the security of voters to avoid a repeat of the 2008 general election violence.