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Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Vice-President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa has poured cold water on divisive forces pushing for secession like little known Mthwakazi Republic Party, saying such forces were wasting their time as the country was a unitary state.

He said Zimbabweans are a united people with shared values and vision who will not allow anyone to divide them.

The VP, who was addressing a constitution advocacy meeting at Masvingo Polytechnic yesterday, said individuals or organisations that attempt to divide people along tribal lines will be wasting their time and need to be exorcised of evil spirits.

“Anyone who wants to divide the nation will be possessed by evil spirits because we’re a unitary state despite people’s diversity of culture and language. Anyone who wants to divide the country will be possessed with an evil spirit. Zimbabwe is one,” he said.

VP Mnangagwa’s remarks were in apparent reference to the issue of secession that was once advocated by Mthwakazi Republic Party leader, Paul Siwela. He has been pushing for the two Matabeleland provinces and Bulawayo Metropolitan to be granted “nationhood.”

Cde Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to focus on the things that unite them.

He underscored the need to coexist as a nation and treat each other with respect, without discrimination.

VP Mnangagwa, who is also Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said people should not read much into the perceived squabbles within the government.

He said the discord that at times is associated with the government where some members are reprimanded, does not mean that there is no unity in the country.

“The discord that you may see does not mean that there is total disunity. We’re one and we expect that (thinking) to cascade to the grassroots as mandated by the constitution. You expect fair treatment . . . so others expect fairness in return. We in government also expect that, while acknowledging the supremacy of the Almighty God,” he said.

He is moving around carrying out awareness campaigns on the constitution as mandated by Section 7 of the Constitution.

VP Mnangagwa said under the new home-grown constitution, government is obliged to instil respect in its citizens and treat them equally.

Turning to the issue of land reform, VP Mnangagwa said the country does not owe anyone an apology for repossessing land for its people using means they deemed fit.

He took a swipe at the critics of the land reform who say the programme was chaotic’ saying there is no formula when it came to repossessing land.

“There’s no textbook that has information on how land can be claimed. We drove out whites because we wanted our land. If there is anyone against that idea it’s his or her own problem. I’m a qualified lawyer, although I studied law while in jail, I’m as good as those who went to conventional universities. But I’ve never come across a textbook which spells out how best land can be reclaimed. You can ask Professor (Rungano) Zvobgo here.

“We used ways that some said were chaotic but we could not craft policies before repossessing what is ours. You first get your land then come up with laws later,” he said.

VP Mnangagwa said whites used violence when they invaded other countries.

The VP and his team from his ministry have covered Mashonaland East, and West as well as Manicaland.

Present at the meeting were President of the Chiefs Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Senator Shuvai Mahofa, Deputy Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Retired Major Mathias Tongofa, Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary, Virginia Mabhiza, Great Zimbabwe University Vice-Chancellor Prof Zvobgo, Provincial Administrator Felix Chikovo, and Masvingo Urban MP, Cde Daniel Shumba, among others.