Firebrand Norton Constituency legislator, Temba Mliswa has laid into the highly divisive Gukurahundi atrocities, claiming the genocide attacks were a political move by the Zezuru tribe, led by President Robert Mugabe against the southern tribes.
Mliswa who has since his dismissal from the ruling Zanu PF has never fall short of controversy, said the genocide attacks which took place in the early 80s, was as a result of President Mugabe’s plot to eliminate Kalangas and Ndebeles whom he viewed as a threat to his governance.
He said, together with Sydney Sekeremayi who was the Minister of National Security and the late Solomon Mujuru, the then Army General, Mugabe brutally killed more than 20 000 people mainly from the Midlands and Matebeleland provinces.
“We can try and ignore the Gukurahundi issue for as long as we want, but someone has to come out and talk about it. Someone has to be held accountable for the atrocities which killed more than 20 000 of our brothers, mothers, sisters and fathers,”
“To put the record straight, the genocide was caused by the Zezuru tribe which has ruled this country for the past 36 years with an iron grip. The Zezurus have always wanted to eliminate the people from the southern parts of the country, so the Gukurahundi was just there to eliminate other tribes in order for the Zezurus to maintain supremacy over everyone,” alleged Mliswa.
“Do no blame the likes of (Air Marshal) Perrence Shiri for the atrocities, but blame Rex Nhongo (Solomon Mujuru) and President Mugabe for the killings because they were the ones in influential positions. They are the ones who could give orders of the killings,” Mliswa further said.
Despite his alleged influential role, Temba Mliswa distanced Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from the brutal killings saying he was not and could have not been involved on the basis that he was not in any influential position.
“It is well known that Vice President Mnangagwa was the CIO Boss and that means he had no say in whatever was happening. Those who want to draw his name into this whole mess are misinformed,” said Mliswa.
The outspoken former Zanu PF Mashonaland West Provincial Chairman, said the country cannot be held at ransom by one tribe and that the balance of power must not be on one side adding that the time for a new tribe to rule has come.
He said for 2018 election campaigns, he will discourage people in his village from voting for Zanu PF as the war has turned tribal since the top hierarchy in the ruling party is largely composed of Zezuru people.
“As we go into the 2018 election mode, we are saying it is enough, we cannot let the country be held at ransom by one tribe for 37 years. We cannot be monopolised by one tribe so I will discourage the people in my village from voting. I’m a village head so they will listen to me,” bragged Mliswa.
He blamed the Zanu PF leadership of side lining Ndebeles and Kalangas from holding influential positions in the ruling party as he said “Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko knows he has no power and he does not dream of being a president because those Zanu PF guys do not want anyone from Matebeleland to be in that position,” Mliswa added.
