Njelele War Vets cleansing an insult to the Matabeleland people's culture - MDC

Press Statement

The MDC (led by Professor Welshman Ncube) is disturbed and condemns the continued violation of the culture of the people of Matabeleland by some war veterans elements led by some Chiefs from Mashonaland who on Wednesday invaded Njelele to conduct an unexplained cleansing ceremony.

The MDC stands by the position taken by the traditional leadership in Matabeleland that this action clearly undermines their authority and is a cause for a serious national conflict. Such kind of actions has a potential of creating national instability and will certainly undermine the efforts of national healing and reconciliation.

This action puts in doubt the credibility of these elements as genuine war veterans and freedom fighters, for genuine freedom fighters know the importance of respect of our cultural diversity. Genuine war veterans and freedom fighters respect national shrines and do not go about undermining the traditional leaders of the country .

The MDC is concerned that the purported ceremony was done in obvious violation of the cultural norms that have governed the sacred place for ages, of more concern has been the contempt of the authority of the chief of the area and the entire traditional leadership. We find it curious that these contemptuous people where accompanied by the chiefs from other far areas in Mashonaland who came behaving as if Matabeleland is a vanquished territory that its culture plays a second fiddle to that of the vanquisher.

We sadly note that in all these the police officers were accomplices in this unfortunate incident as they took sides with those that have violated the community culture and traditions. It is such incidents that have informed our position as a party that the government deployment policy of the civil servants must be reviewed. We want people to be deployed in their home areas where they understand their language, culture and traditions.

The MDC is shocked at the record level of disrespect of the chiefs and traditional leaders. We do not take this issue likely and we have since asked members of our party at senior government level to take this issue up to the relevant authorities.

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