The secessionist Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has petitioned Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa over his involvement in the Gukurahundi atrocities which killed an estimated 20 000 people in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces
The radical pro-Ndebele group also says Mnangagwa must never set foot in Matabeleland as he is a “murderer”.
In a petition seen by RadioVOP on Monday, MRP said Mnangagwa was not welcome in Matabeleland region due to his involvement in early 1980s Matabeleland genocide commonly known as Gukurahundi.
Mthwakazi also accuses President Robert Mugabe’s deputy of impoverishing people in the region.
“We the people of Matabeleland do hereby serve you with this petition, letting you know that you are not welcome in our land. Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa during the Gukurahundi, you took the lead and you were in the fore-front killing our people. Surprisingly, up to today you never apologised, neither your government,” reads part of the petition.
“Today, Mnangagwa you are in the forefront together with your company and associates destroying people’s homes, grazing land as well as graves some of which are victims of Gukurahundi genocide in which you are personally guilty of killing them. Is this not the second Gukurahundi genocide you are up to?”
MRP accuses Mnangagwa of working with Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) which has partnered Trek Petroleum in a joint farming venture at Maphisa Estates in Kezi, one of the areas worse
The project has not gone down well with villagers who allege that it has encroached into their grazing and farming lands.
“Our wounds are still fresh yet you open some. It is totally unacceptable for the Zimbabwe government to allow such satanic act to take place. We would like to warn you to stay away from Kezi and vacate the place with immediate effect or your actions will be strongly resisted by the whole of Mthwakazi people,” it said.
MRP said the Zanu PF led government has marginalised people in Matabeleland in terms of development since independence in 1980.
“It is frivolous and satanic for Mnangagwa who is the face of Gukurahundi genocide to come to Matabeleland and expect to be accepted by the locality people. He must go to hell together with his colonialists companies in Kezi. The Arda issue has a potential to cause war in this country,” reads the petition.
In an interview with RadioVOP on Monday, MRP spokesperson, Mbonisi Gumbo, said they hoped the petition would be discussed in Parliament this week.
The Gukurahundi period, by far the darkest since independence, saw then Prime Minister Mugabe dispatch his North Korean trained army unit to Matabeleland and Midlands provinces ostensibly to hunt down armed insurgents loyal to once bitter rival Joshua Nkomo.
Since the siege ended with the signing of the unity accord between Mugabe’s Zanu and Nkomo’s PF Zapu in 1987, no action has been taken to both punish the perpetrators or compensate the victims.
During the period, Mnangagwa was said to be one of Mugabe’s henchmen in executing the atrocities