Let’s keep it simple! - Message from MPC President

Last Updated on Friday, 03 July 2009 20:19 Friday, 03 July 2009 15:53

mpc logo Today, my message to all Mthwakazians is simple: Let’s keep it simple! That way we will keep our focus and be more efficient in our execution. We will keep the initiative and drive the agenda. We will confront adversity and grab destiny with both hands. We will earn the grudging admiration of our political adversaries.

Soon, our independence agenda that looked so distant and unattainable yesterday, that for so long has been the subject of mockery and ridicule and the object of fearful caution, will assume a visible form and suddenly become attainable.

Overnight, all of us, as Mthwakazians, will feel a sense of ownership and renewal. We will experience political rebirth; feel the irresistible pull of belonging. These feelings, when they come, will not be false.

They will be real and true. That is how sweet true freedom feels; freedom rudely stolen from Mthwakazi in 1980 and is still denied today. That is exactly where MPC wants to take uMthwakazi.

So we invite all Mthwakazians to hop in and be part of this new journey to hope and renewal. To borrow from the Bible: the journey to the Promised Land. We can achieve this by keeping things simple.

Our agenda is clear and publicly stated. Our methodology, executable and deliverable.

The new constitutional process now underway through the Parliamentary Select Committee affords us a window of opportunity to execute and deliver. We must avail ourselves fully of it and expand our opportunities.

So here is my simple message today: When the Parliamentary Select Committee comes to town or your area, tell it that uMthwakazi now wants its independence under its own sovereign state. That you want to do so through this draft Constitution.

Make this point loud and clear, and make it the beginning of your conversation with them. Make the Parliamentary Select Committee understand, acknowledge and accept the principle of Mthwakazi’s independence as a starting point. That the acceptance of this principle is the very minimum for any future engagement with respect to the draft constitution.

Keep it that simple. In truth, there is really nothing fancy to say. If the Select Committee asks why, tell it that the why question is not a constitutional matter. But the how question is. And this is how.

Tell the Parliamentary Select Committee this:

- That you want the new draft Constitution to be a Transitional Constitution only;

- That the Transitional Constitution must establish a Transitional Government for present-day Zimbabwe (TG), to exist for a maximum period of 5 years;

- That the Transitional Constitution must change the name of the country from Zimbabwe to Zimbabwe-UMR during the transitional phase;

- That the Transitional Constitution must establish two transitional parliaments, MTHWAKAZI PARLIAMENT (establishing Mthwakazi Members of Parliament – MMPs) and ZIMBABWE PARLIAMENT (establishing Members of Zimbabwe Parliament – MZPs). That these two parliaments, combined, form the NATIONAL PARLIAMENT of present-day Zimbabwe (establishing Members of the National Parliament – MNPs) for the transitional phase;

- That the Transitional Constitution must establish a Mthwakazi governmental authority, to be known as Mthwakazi Government Transitional Authority (MGTA);

- That the Transitional Constitution must establish as Head of Mthwakazi government, the MGTA, the Office of Mthwakazi Prime Minister who shall also be the Deputy President of Zimbabwe-UMR during the transitional phase, and a Cabinet of Mthwakazi Ministers who together with Mthwakazi Prime Minister, shall constitute uMthwakazi Executive (running of MGTA) during the transitional phase;

- That the Transitional Period be a maximum period of 5 years before formal partition between Zimbabwe and UMR;

- That the Transitional Constitution and Transitional Government must establish all necessary transitional arrangements to oversee the smooth and peaceful partition of Zimbabwe and UMR and the transfer of power to Mthwakazi.

These issues are expanded in informercials appearing in the top right hand corner of this website. These are already translated to siNdebele. Translations to other vernacular languages is on-going.
Mthwakazi, political conditions have changed and will continue to change. There will never be perfect conditions. We must therefore consider each condition as it presents itself.

Today, we find ourselves ruled by a so-called Government of National Unity (GNU). It is a wobbly arrangement of expediency. Nonetheless, we must respond to it rather than switch off. As you all know, MPC would rather we had had a fully-fledged Transitional Government. But for now that is a wish. The reality is that we now have a GNU. We must now assess how the GNU process (not GNU itself) can advance uMthwakazi’s agenda.

Our assessment is that the GNU process, imperfect as it is, does afford uMthwakazi a window of opportunity to formally activate the processes and mechanisms that will lead to Mthwakazi’s independence through a constitutional, political process.
The GNU process is only one among many conditions MPC will be called upon to evaluate in this political journey.

Mthwakazi, it is important to make the following point clear. The GNU is not particularly important or unimportant in itself as to what it represents as a process. The GNU process is evidence of a process of change. The GNU process marks both the formal beginning of the end and a new beginning. However, neither the end nor the beginning is the creation or the consequence of the GNU. Instead, the GNU itself is merely evidence of an on-going process of organic transformation in present-day Zimbabwe.

Therefore, no one in particular and no political party or group of political parties own it or is responsible for that process of change. The organic change is owned and belongs to everybody. For that reason uMthwakazi has both a stake in that process and a role to play in defining the future political direction of what is presently Zimbabwe.

It will therefore be a grave political miscalculation were uMthwakazi to focus on the structural imperfections, functional shortcomings or fate of the GNU. That focus is for others. For Mthwakazi the focus must be on how to exploit existing opportunities or how to create new ones. The GNU process is only but one such opportunity that has availed itself at this point in time. We must respond to it.

Mthwakazi, we must have no place for dogma or doctrinaire politics. We must act for our independence. We must act now.

The GNU process will have its own consequences, intended or organic. For a start, both Zanu-PF and the MDC will never be the same after the GNU process. For the other, it is probable that new political formations will emerge or will have emrged after the GNU process, ensuring that the political turf will no longer be the exclusive domain of Zanu-PF and the MDC. In this transforming political environment uMthwakazi must strategically locate itself ready to catapult itself into a political position that will advance uMthwakazi’s cause for freedom.

UMthwakazi and MPC must therefore emerge as one of the major political players at the end of the GNU process.
The foundations for that must be laid down now through the current constitutional process. It is therefore critical that uMthwakazi be heard now and that it makes itself heard.

This is therefore the time to shout, not talk about uMthwakazi’s independence. Time to rabble-rouse, if need be, and time to unleash our demagogues. This is time to deploy our political foot soldiers. Time to stand up and play a part. This is simple, and keeping it simple.

Beyond us political conditions have also changed.

Within SADC three new administrations have assumed office in Botswana, Zambia and South Africa. All want to see good governance in present-day Zimbabwe. The same goes for SADC itself as an organization.

Further afield, the new Obama Administration in the US is also determined to see good governance in Zimbabwe as it does in other dictatorships elsewhere. These are favourable developments that we must exploit to the full. The ball is therefore in Mthwakazi’s court.

All this said, the driver must remain uMthwakazi itself. For those of us who have not begun to see it, we are growing and driving the political agenda inside present-day Zimbabwe today.

In 2009, MPC is no longer a rumour of apprehensive curiosity it was back in 2004. It is a Movement of growing influence on the ground and influencing uMthwakazi’s growing self-belief. And because of MPC, uMthwakazi is no longer political game!
Suddenly, from quarters hitherto unthought of we are hearing of competing clamours for 'devolution'. So there you have it Mthwakazi, you know what they are trying to stop. Let us hear how they want to spin Gukurahundi?

Where in the past MPC was tentative and exploratory today it is confident and sure. Where yesterday MPC was ‘faceless’ and viewed suspiciously today MPC has a public face and building trust. Where yesterday MPC was a rumour today it is reality.

Where yesterday MPC was dismissed as a joke today MPC is parrying a flurry of orchestrated attempts to bring it down. The whole package: infiltrators, detractors, agents provocateurs, political asornists, copycats, character assassins, smear campaigners, saboteurs, sponsored forumites, traitors, party spoilers, pretenders, opportunists, glory-seekers, political grave-diggers, warts and all, MPC has had them all. Nor will these be the last!

They have tested us and helped us grow and mature into our new role. And the more they have tried the bolder and unshakable we have become. And the more we have realised the greatness of the ideal we represent too! In the process, MPC has continued to transform and to re-invent itself for purpose.

Where yesterday MPC’s independence agenda was just an idea, today it is a programme of action. We are beginning to live the dream.

Sure and doggedly and against all odds, uMthwakazi has come of political age. We must not just keep the political momentum going we must now convert that momentum into an executable process for political deliverance. Here is
the window of opportunity to begin that process!

For everything it is worth, let us speak to the Parliamentary Select Committee and begin the political conversation. There are issues with the process but let us not prejudge it. Ultimately, what will be decisive will be the content of the draft constitution. Let us therefore say what we want in that draft constitution. Let us demand uMthwakazi's independence and sovereignty. In doing so, let’s keep it simple.

With the constitutional process we can also begin the process of off-loading MPC to Mthwakazi and transfer ownership of MPC to Mthwakazi. The views and opinions you will give the Parliamentary Select Committee are not those of MPC but uMthwakazi’s. By the end of the constitutional process uMthwakazi must be in firm control of its political destiny.

At inception we said isifohlile! At the end of the constitutional process, we must be able to say isiqolotsha!

In 1980, Zanu-PF stuck a knife at Mthwakazi’s back, and twisted it. In 2009, the MDC has done the same but twisted the knife the other way.Today, the MDC is laughing inside banking halls, delivered there on the shoulders of uMthwakazi! And where is uMthwakazi?

As Mthwakazians, and through the constitutional process now underway we must now put a permanent stop to these ‘seasons of betrayal’ otherwise our generation’s legacy will rightly be the ‘museum of shame’.

This constitutional process affords our generation a rare window of opportunity to redeem ourselves and hand over to our children and their children a proud and heroic legacy we have ourselves inherited from our forebears. Our forebears sacrificed. We must too.

We must refuse to be bought into silence or be intimidated into conformity. We must also refuse to be seen through the political prism of other peoples. We are Mthwakazi and must be seen and acknowledged as such. Let us deliver UMR peacefully. That would be a fitting tribute to all those Mthwakazians who lost their lives to the madding war of Gukurahundi.
Let us remember this.
In 2009, we are back to 1979. In 1979 we got it wrong and wrought upon ourselves Gukurahundi. We now know what we have on our hands. Let us not repeat the same mistake in 2009. Let us get it right this time. Through the new draft constition process we can.

So there you have it Mthwakazi, let’s keep it simple and we will overcome.

I thank you.

Ndabezinhle Edwin Mkwananzi
MPC President

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Will this ideology ever materialise when its exponents are outside Zimbabwe
written by ncube , July 05, 2009

Well! i admire man like you Ndaba who are brave enough to take ridicule and insults from Zimbabweans who are as selfish as Mugabe. I believe in total emancipation of Matebeleland as the only way that will give peace to the next Ndebele generation. However, there are few things which are not very clear to me; Will this idea ever materialise if those who are advocating for it are all abroad? When you look at the current Zimbabwean political temperature, people are so comfused such that even the prominant and very influencial people of matebeleland are very silent about this because they fear for their lives. I think you should also try other means such as pushing this agenda directly to the local Zim politicians and test their perceptions about this (perhaps you have done it but my interest really is to know how they feel about it and what is the degree of their support both private and public). The problem is that very few people are willing to take a risk and that basically is problematic.
Have you considered carying out a survey or a full scale research to people in Matebeleland and collect data about the desires of the people of matebeleland so as to present substantial evidence to the whole world? Well this may sound very unecessary but let us learn from the west, they never carry out any policy plan without research evidence. This will help to eradicate the general view that you and your team are power hungry. If this thing has to work, there should be people at home and prominent organisations that support it and work towards developing it. Well, this is my view, of course i do not know how much foundation of this work has been laid. Overall, keep up the good work it is the support that you have to get for this to work. Try to take more insults by getting yourself involved much more in the media and thus will anable you to assess the degree of support available.

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written by Jerold Sibanyoni , August 13, 2009

Everybody in matebeleland understands the plight of Mthwakazi Nation.We will never look back,this movement should grow from strength to strength.