https://cite.org.zw/zanu-pf-government-pursuing-nguni-ndebelephobic-policies/. The recent hysterical attacks by Chris Mutsvanga, and the Minister of Local Government and National Housing against His Worship the Mayor of Bulawayo, David Coltart whose purported crime was entertaining Collin Bulelani Khumalo, Great Grand Son of King Lobengula, could not only go unchallenged, but also necessary to expose ZANU PF’s Nguni/Ndebelephobia. Collen Bulelani Khumalo incident should not be taken as an isolated political mishap, but a broader political strategy adopted by ZANU. The strategy is multi-pronged involving physical extermination of a specific ethnic group e.g. Gukurahundi massacres of the Ndebeleas a first phase, social re-engineering among other phases involving deculturisation of the Matabele. This is already in motion, for example, deployment of primary and secondary school teachers and other public servants who can’t speak local languages in Matabeleland and other areas dominated by Ndebele speakers. From the first nationalist movements, the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress, the National Democratic Party and Zimbabwe African People’s Union, people were united and behind the rallying slogan of ‘Mwana Webvu/Mntwana Wenhlabathi”. In fact, the nationalist politics of the day, were focused on the struggle against the supremacist regimes not on ethnicity. This monumental achievement was shred into bits and pieces of politics of hate and tribalism by ZANU after it split from ZAPU. Nothing wrong with political splits, they are a universal menu of any political dispensation and healthy for democracy. However, what matters are policies pursued after splitting, particularly when state power is acquired. For example, Kenneth Kaunda’s UNIP split from the Northern Rhodesia African National Congress and went on to govern the new post colonial state of the Republic of Zambia. On acquiring state power, Kaunda rallied all people of diverse ethnic persuasion including the Ngoni/Nguni around the slogan “One Zambia One Nation” and removed provincial names denoting ethnicity, for example, Barotseland was renamed Western Province. Compare with Mugabe, he retained all colonial provincial names denoting tribal identities, what followed was unresolved Matabele massacres. ZAPU’s national executive and central committees consisted mainly of Shona speaking members but only Ndebele speakers were targeted for repression, only George Marange suffered with his Ndebele colleagues. This defies logic, decision making involves collectivity, but why were the Ndebele speaking members selected for repression? The answer is simple, ZANU PF operates unwritten political rules (conventions). Conventions are unwritten or uncodified rules of political practice but which are obeyed on equal measure with written laws. ZANU PF adopted a convention that stipulated exclusion of Nguni/Ndebele extraction or associated with the same from the presidency of a political party or country but only for deputyship. This has even found expression with opposition political formations. The creation of a further 2 vice presidents and ultimate appointment of Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa by late Morgen Tsvangirai in addition to the incumbent Thokozani Khuphe elected in a congress of the MDC-T was an undisguised conformity to the convention. Her ethnic background road blocked her chances of becoming the party presidentor country if elections were won. To conclude, Nguni human species are spread all over Southern Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, all are safe in those countries,except in Zimbabwe where they are under siege and an endangered species as was demonstrated by Gukurahundi Massacres. Those who survived genocide, are undergoing some form of deculturisation and language genocide. Therefore, it would be naïve for any right-thinking person to believe that this hatred is spared for Ngunis of Zimbabwean nationality only, but the entire Ngunis of the SADC Region. Siziba is the ZAPU Secretary for the Bulawayo Province. He writes in his personal capacity. We welcome your feedback, suggestions and comments. Contact us via our whatsapp number (263) 0781 464 664 You can also follow link to join our Whats App community https://chat.whatsapp.com/FwxZ4uMTgIV8KlFV5cX4EW