The leader of Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying his government wants to destroy the secessionist movement by locking up its top members in a similar manner in which PF Zapu, once led by the late Joshua Nkomo, was weakened and “swallowed” by the ruling party.
Mqondisi Moyo made these remarks in a scathing petition written to Mnangagwa and copied to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, the Joint Operations Command, British parliament and commission in Zimbabwe and several senior state officials and security agents.
Moyo bemoaned the locking up of nine members of his party, who protested outside Bulawayo Central Police Station and were nearly gunned down by the police while looking for him following reports that he was picked up for questioning over a farm invasion saga in Ntabazinduna, about 45 kilometers north of the country’s second largest city.
He said, “I have written to you several times raising questions about your conduct and that of your State Security agents against myself, my party members and Mthwakazi people at large.”
Moyo said he was nearly abducted by state security agents in March 2021, who also attempted to punish MRP activists - Nqobani Donga and Mongameli Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa.
He said some of members of his party were also seriously injured when police opened fire at Bulawayo Central Police Station where they were looking for him. Some of these people, Moyo said, ended up in court and were jailed for engaging in public violence.
“… Some commotion ensued between members of the police force and members of my party resulting in shootouts from your irresponsible forces, and in the process MRP members sustained a lot of injuries with some of them getting heavily bashed by your rogue police. It was during that time that nine members, mainly officials of my party were arrested and detained at Central police station before being taken to Bulawayo Tredgold magistrate Court.”
He said the nine MRP members are Tinos Nkomo, Livison Ncube, Nkosinathi Ncube, Mongameli Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa, Welcome Moyo, Ackim Ndebele, Maxwell Nkosi, Sibongile Banda and Busi Moyo.
“These were later to be sentenced on 02 May 2022 having been found guilty of inciting public violence and bigotry. The nine were sentenced to 33 months and 36 months respectively, and according to the magistrate Tavengwa Sangster, the Public Prosecutor of the day and the defence counsel of the MRP 9 members, it was ruled that they were to serve their sentences at Khami Maximum prison and Mlondolozi respectively.
“We know that their sentencing was politically motivated as incitement of political violence do not warrant such a charge as one of our member Patron Xaba was also charged with incitement of public violence but was sentenced to 525 hours, which is approximately three months, of community service. The sentencing of our MRP9 was a way of instilling fear on our members and Mthwakazi people at large to never stand up to fight for their fundamental rights and total independence. Your continuing provocation on us won't end well.”
On 28 August 2022, eight of the nine members were transferred to Chikurubhi Maximum prison and one was transferred to Gwanda as he had another pending case, which was not politically related.
“The transfer was without their consent and that of their relatives. While, on the other hand this is against the constitution of the country that stipulates the rights of prisoners, part of their rights include rights to be closer to their relatives, you will reckon that Chikurubi Maximum prison is 451km from Bulawayo and all the eight members currently incarcerated at Chikurubi Maximum, none of them has relatives that side of the country. On the other hand, we have received a lot of complaints from them that there is no food at the prison and for the fact that you directed that they be transferred to Chikurubi you intentionally wanted to frustrate, intimidate, and torture them. To me this is a violation of their constitutional rights.”
Moyo said his brother, Dinginhlalo Moyo, has also been given torrid time in the past few months as they locked him up, demanding to know his activities.
“It later emerged that the state found no case against him and on the last date of his routine appearance the magistrate of the day lashed out at police who had arrested him citing lack of true policing and professionalism where someone can be arrested without adequate evidence. His case was to be struck from the roll call.
“My brother's unprocedural and unjustified arrest was motivated by him being my biological brother, and for the fact that weeks before his arrest we had a successful meeting at Gwandavale Village which happens to be my rural village.”
Moyo further noted that his rallies in rural areas are being blocked by state security agents that have been assigned to eliminate him. At the same time, he said, there were attempts to plant weapons on MRP members’ houses following claims that an arms shipment, which was dismissed by the police, was heading to Bulawayo.
“The unfounded confiscation of so called heavy weapons to me was to portray us a state security threat as you did to Zapu in the early 80s when you were preparing for the Gukurahundi Genocide of 1983 to 1987. Two weeks ago Maxwell Nkosi one of the MRP nine members who was transferred to Gwanda prison was found guilty of having been caught with a pistol but surprisingly no evidence was produced to prove he had a gun and he was sentenced to seven years in prison with three years suspended. Again to us all this shows your dirty tactics against myself and the party members. This further show that you are afraid of MRP.”
He said the part has gathered a lot of intelligence information about how the Zanu PF government “through its partisan State Security agents wants to destroy MRP using the same old tactics they used to destroy Zapu.
“Two months ago some information leaked to us that 40 men were taken for training in Namibia as brigade solely to deal with me and the members of the party. According to information at hand the 40 men will be given uniforms that resembles national park uniforms, and as soon as I get arrested and other members of the party these men will pounce on us and apply all dirty games on us.
“The information we have is that of the 40 men that were trained two are dead and according to the information gathered they might have been eliminated for demanding their dues before they were dispatched to pounce on us. We have the information that MRP is to be crushed before the anticipated 2023 elections as it is the only serious threat to the Zanu pf government. Other measures that are said to be taken against myself and MRP members are continued arrests, food poisoning and other dirty tactics. We are aware that the plans are hatched at a place at Domboshava where there is military camp that houses around 200 strong military men who are the decision makers on what action is to be taken against, those who are perceived to be anti Zanu pf government. “
According to our sources, said Moyo, “MRP is at the top of the agenda of that Domboshava task force. The list of targeted parties and individuals has been compiled and my name is at the top.
“A week ago, an amnesty on the surrender of unlicensed weapons was ended on the 30th of September 2022. According to police, 538 firearms and 260 rounds of ammunition were surrendered voluntarily and it was announced that by the 1st of October 2022 the police would conduct some searches at those people whom they suspected to be in possession of unlicensed weapons. We know that this is another way that such weapons will be planted on people like us the way you, Mnangangwa did in early 80s against Zapu.
“I am aware that it was you Emerson Mnangangwa, Sydney Sekeramayi who took the then leader of Zapu Dr Joshua Nkomo to the Zapu farm in Gweru where you unearthed the weapons that you said belong to Zapu. But its a known fact that those weapons were planted by you as the Minister of State Security then who presided over the mass killings, disappearances of our people during Gukurahundi.”
“I put it to you Emerson Mnangangwa that you a murderer, a gangster leader, and cruel at the same time, your barbarism will not deter us from pursuing our only lasting permanent solution to the woes of 129 years that both Shonas and whites particularly the West inflicted on us.”
He said Mnangagwa should provide a conducive level playing ground for all political parties in Zimbabwe; stop barbarism against myself and members of my party; stop these unprocedural and unlawful arrests of us; re- transfer the MRP eight members back to Khami Prison and Mlondolozi respectively; take your hands off the judiciary system “as it is there to serve the country, not you alone and allow us out of Zimbabwe. We don't belong there. We have our own country which Zimbabwe is illegally occupying.”
Moyo added that “we are aware that you are the same Emerson Mnangagwa who during the Genocide era in 1983, denied the late two ZPRA commanders their freedom on trumped up treason charges even if the highest court in the land had found them not guilty and acquitted them. Instead you scoffed at them when you visited them at Chikurubhi maximum prison that their freedom and release was dependent upon you and that they had to join Zanu pf if they were to be released. They refused and you told them you were going to throw their prison cell keys to the river, meaning that you had no will to have them out of the jail. These were Dumiso Dabengwa and Lookout Masuku.
“The reason why I have decided to write you this letter is that on 23 March 2022 at a Zanu Pf rally at St Mary's at Chitungwiza you threatened me and the members of my Party that you were going to shorten the days of our lives on earth (meaning that you would kill us). On June 23, 2022 again while addressing your supporters at Bata Company in Gweru, you said we were possessed with the spirit of Legion and you would exorcise us of it. On 07 July 2022 at Marondera when addressing your supporters, you hammered on us threatening to deal with us.”
He noted that “we are bringing all this to your attention not that we are afraid of you and your agents but because we want to let you know that we are aware of your dirty feelings and thoughts about myself and members of my party and Mthwakazi people at large. We want the world to also know of your brutality and cruelty. Your continued threats and arrests of myself and members of my party clearly indicate that our clarion call for self determination vindicates us and upset you and your government.
“MRP will not die and will not be bullied by your government. We are a political party that is destined to liberate our people from your oppression. We are fighting for our total independence. All these communiques will act as a reference in near future and the forthcoming generations will refer to.”
Presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, and information secretary, Nick Mangwana, were unreachable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.
Mnangagwa was quoted a few months ago that his country won’t allow the proliferation of secessionist movements like Mthwakazi Republic Party.
He vowed to crush them by all means necessary.