POLITICIANS and analysts have slammed outspoken
Ntabazinduna traditional leader, Chief Nhlanhla Ndiweni, for his unrelenting
call for the United States of America and the European Union to add more sanctions
on Zimbabwe.
Chief Nhlanhla Ndiweni, who was apparently angered by the
Government’s decision to resettle an indigenous farmer at a farm in
Ntabazinduna previously occupied by a white family, on Thursday night,
addressed a Press conference in Bulawayo and called for tougher sanctions
against Zimbabwe.
Chief Ndiweni sensationally appealed to the international
community to escalate sanctions on the President Mnangagwa’s Government,
claiming it has failed to pursue democracy.
“We have now put in place our point man and ladies in
Washington DC, London and Europe and they will engage those particular
organisations who have been speaking about Zimbabwe. We are openly asking those
institutions to increase the sanctions against President Mnangagwa’s
administration. We are asking them to increase the travel restrictions against
this administration because the present sanctions are not punitive enough,” he
said.
In separate interviews, political analysts and politicians
condemned Chief Ndiweni’s stance, saying his sentiments were regrettable and
“treasonous.”
Political scientist and University of Zimbabwe lecturer
Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki said the call for more sanctions by Chief Ndiweni
was unpatriotic and treasonous.
“It is unfortunate that such utterances are coming from a
chief and I respectfully say that is most unfortunate and a downright
unpatriotic gesture. I think in any country including America itself and Europe
anybody who publicly make such utterances would be charges with treason.
Clearly, what Chief Ndiweni has said is an act of treason and coming from
someone who is a traditional leader is most unfortunate and regrettable,” he
said.
Prof Mpepereki urged Chief Ndiweni to embrace President
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s re-engagement efforts through dialogue, which is aimed at
promoting peace in the country.
“President Mnangagwa has been open for engagements although
our history may have had many painful episodes and the last thing that any
right thinking people would do is to ask for sanctions. The chief is well
advised to keep his mouth shut and he should not call for sanctions when people
are suffering including his own subjects. In fact the sanctions will not solve
anything except to cause more untold suffering for people and economic misery
to our country,” he said.
“When you are sitting inside a pot and then say people
should make more fire under that pot, it does not make any sense and that is
how a chief who loves his people behaves? Sadly, he is even lying to the same
foreigners who only yesterday were killing our own people.”
Prof Mpepereki said Chief Ndiweni should instead champion
dialogue and peace among Zimbabweans instead of fuelling hatred.
“The sanctions will not make the chief more comfortable and
whatever problems and challenges the chief has can only be solved by
Zimbabweans through discussion. All wars fought on mother earth have been
concluded through dialogue, which President Mnangagwa is calling for. Yes,
people can scold and shout at each other, but let’s sit down and dialogue and
eventually when there is a cease fire there will always be talks and when there
are talks there will be peace. The respectable chief should be the one sitting
at the forefront calling for peace through dialogue and bringing out the issues
those pertinent issues to the roundtable not by calling for sanctions. That is
unforgivable,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association
secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda said the chief’s sentiments were a clear
indication that he was serving the interests of the British and Americans.
“Chiefs are the custodians of the land and that land is
what creates the chieftainship and not only the land but also the people that
inhabit that place. It is those people that are their subjects who are
suffering from the effects of sanctions. For a chief to call for sanctions just
shows how separated that chief is from his people,” he said.
“It is unfortunate we have people like him who are referred
to as chiefs when they are not connected to the ethos of chieftainship. From
his sentiments it is clear that he is not a people’s chief but some British and
American stooge.”
Matabeleland North
Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo expressed shock at Chief Ndiweni’s
utterances, saying he was singing from the same hymnbook with opposition
parties.
“The chief stayed in the United Kingdom for 25 years and it
is not surprising why he has a British mentality. While Zimbabweans are
speaking with one voice against sanctions, it is quite disturbing to have
people like him calling for sanctions which are hurting the ordinary people.
Chief Ndiweni is speaking like a politician not a traditional leader, which
effectively means that he is in a wrong place,” said Minister Moyo.
Zimbabwe Council of Churches Zimbabwe Council of Churches
president Bishop Mpande Khanye also appealed to the international community to
lift sanctions against Zimbabwe.
“We implore the international community to remove
sanctions. We reiterate our preferential option of the vulnerable, marginalised
voiceless and those in the diaspora to be given an opportunity to voice their
concerns and fully contribute to national dialogue as full citizens of our
great nation,” he said. Chronicle
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