March, Thursday 24---MTHWAKAZI Liberation Front (MLF) has in the last week scored remarkable success despite the continued detention of three of its senior members.
Firstly, the treason trial at Bulawayo courts of John Gazi, Paul Siwela and Charles Thomas led to the formation of Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers Network in Bulawayo.
AHRLN is a group of lawyers from Matabeleland who broke ranks from Harare based Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights who refused to offer legal representation to the trio.
Secondly, South Africa based members on Monday, 21 March 2011 addressed participants at a human rights march in Johannesburg.
Sabelo Ngwenya, MLF secretary for legal and constitutional affairs said the movement took the opportunity to explain their cause.
“They (South African organisers) tried to deny us (the opportunity to address the gathering) saying the MDC –T represented all Zimbabweans in the march. We told them that we are not Zimbabweans but Mthwakazians and they had to accept that. Our core mission was to drive home the notion that the right to self-determination is a human right and that it is not treasonous to seek to exercise that right.
This theme punctuated our message to both the participants and the media,” Ngwenya said.
“We also took the opportunity to remind the gathering that it is not only Munyaradzi Gwisai and five other Hararians who are facing treason charges in Zimbabwe. We have the case of MLF’s Paul Siwela, John Gazi and Charles Thomas. They are languishing in Zimbabwean prisons on treason charges for merely saying that the people of Mthwakazi also deserve to enjoy their full political, economic, social and cultural rights in an independent Mthwakazi state. It appears Zimbabwe is the only country in the world where clamouring for the right to self-determination amounts to treason and tribalism,” he said.
Ngwenya said the largely South African audience responded positively and seemed surprised that there was little publicity and coverage on the MLF leaders’ treason trial.
Ngwenya said it was MLF’s contention that it was disgraceful that the people of Matabeleland were marginalised in Zimbabwe and also in supposedly democratic forums like the human rights march in South Africa.
“It’s saddening that we had to fight for our right to take to the podium and make our voice heard,” he said.
Thirdly, MLF has attracted the attention of Organisation for Emerging African States (OEAS), a Pan-African body that advocates separation of states.
Ebenezer Derek Mbongo Akwanga, secretary-general of OEAS, wrote to MLF leaders urging them to join the regional board.
Part of the letter reads: “This train (secessionist trend in Africa) that is gradually getting ready to leave the station will not be stopped by any might unless it reaches its eventual destination — unconditional self-determination for our people.
“It’s time we spoke for ourselves. I look forward to a new partnership of equality and undivided loyalty as we move forward as a people.”
Akwanga, is a founder and chairman of the Southern Cameroon Youth League (SCYL), a secessionist movement in the south of Cameroon.
Sabelo Ngwenya, MLF secretary for legal and constitutional affairs said the movement took the opportunity to explain their cause.
“They (South African organisers) tried to deny us (the opportunity to address the gathering) saying the MDC –T represented all Zimbabweans in the march. We told them that we are not Zimbabweans but Mthwakazians and they had to accept that. Our core mission was to drive home the notion that the right to self-determination is a human right and that it is not treasonous to seek to exercise that right.
This theme punctuated our message to both the participants and the media,” Ngwenya said.
“We also took the opportunity to remind the gathering that it is not only Munyaradzi Gwisai and five other Hararians who are facing treason charges in Zimbabwe. We have the case of MLF’s Paul Siwela, John Gazi and Charles Thomas. They are languishing in Zimbabwean prisons on treason charges for merely saying that the people of Mthwakazi also deserve to enjoy their full political, economic, social and cultural rights in an independent Mthwakazi state. It appears Zimbabwe is the only country in the world where clamouring for the right to self-determination amounts to treason and tribalism,” he said.
Ngwenya said the largely South African audience responded positively and seemed surprised that there was little publicity and coverage on the MLF leaders’ treason trial.
Ngwenya said it was MLF’s contention that it was disgraceful that the people of Matabeleland were marginalised in Zimbabwe and also in supposedly democratic forums like the human rights march in South Africa.
“It’s saddening that we had to fight for our right to take to the podium and make our voice heard,” he said.
Thirdly, MLF has attracted the attention of Organisation for Emerging African States (OEAS), a Pan-African body that advocates separation of states.
Ebenezer Derek Mbongo Akwanga, secretary-general of OEAS, wrote to MLF leaders urging them to join the regional board.
Part of the letter reads: “This train (secessionist trend in Africa) that is gradually getting ready to leave the station will not be stopped by any might unless it reaches its eventual destination — unconditional self-determination for our people.
“It’s time we spoke for ourselves. I look forward to a new partnership of equality and undivided loyalty as we move forward as a people.”
Akwanga, is a founder and chairman of the Southern Cameroon Youth League (SCYL), a secessionist movement in the south of Cameroon.
Akwanga vowed to engage President Robert Mugabe over the “marginalisation” of Ndebele people.
OEAS has over 25 “entities and exile governments” designated as emerging African states, aims to annul geo-political borders created during the colonial era in Africa.
“The colonial-era borders of Africa must be shattered as an artificial construct of the 20th century.
“Just as the USSR dissolved, so too will the status quo in Africa, which is propped up by economic and geopolitical interest inimical to the aspiration of Africans,” Akwanga said.
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