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About 10 chiefs from the province, Chiefs’ Council deputy president Chief Mtshana Khumalo, Senator Chief Gampu of Tsholotsho, Matabeleland South Governor Angeline Masuku, war veterans leader Cde Jabulani Sibanda, Deputy President of the Senate Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and Zanu-PF Politburo members Cde Richard Ndlovu and Abigail Damasane met in Esigodini and discussed how the issue, which has caused unrest in the province, should be dealt with.
Emerging from the four-hour-long closed door meeting, they said what happened was wrong and should not be allowed to happen again.
“In brief I can say something wrong was done that should be corrected and has been corrected.
“I cannot disclose the details of the meeting but the issue is that any person who is out of step in this matter should be in step,” said Cde Sibanda.
“As war veterans we do not have such a programme. People should also know that our organisation does not control all war veterans’ groupings.
“Ours is a revolutionary programme, which we are currently doing in Hurungwe in Mashonaland West. Whatever these other groupings believe and are doing they should recognise the rule and know ukuthi akulamuntu olemvumo yokwenza akufunayo endaweni yabanikazi. They should do things accordingly.”
Asked whether he believed former freedom fighters should undergo cleansing, Cde Sibanda said that was the prerogative of the elders who have been responsible for such issues dating back to the days of the liberation struggle.
Chief Khumalo said the meeting was fruitful as all parties reached a consensus on how the Njelele issue should be handled in future in order to avoid conflict.
Njelele shrine is situated in Matobo District.
“We had a fruitful meeting with the political leadership, war veterans and traditional leadership.
“We talked about how Njelele shrine should be dealt with in future and how visitors should behave.
“This was the centre of our discussion,” said Chief Khumalo of Bubi.
“We made certain recommendations and amended some from the previous meeting. I cannot disclose the contents of the recommendations now. I first have to present the report to Chiefs’ Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira. What I can say is that we are satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.”
Sen Ndlovu also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting but declined to shed more light.
“What I can say is that we suspended the discussion, but I cannot pre-empt its outcome because we first have to report to the Politburo. Generally the meeting progressed well and we are satisfied,” said Sen Ndlovu.
Governor Masuku left the meeting earlier.
Yesterday’s meeting was a follow-up to last week’s where the traditional leaders met at the same venue to discuss the issue and resolved to seek audience with the Chiefs’ Council national leadership and the senior political leadership since the issue involved allegations against them.
Chief Charumbira could not attend yesterday’s meeting and was represented by Chief Khumalo.
Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, the Zanu-PF National Chairman, who was also invited apologised last week, saying he would be out of the country.
However, Cde Khaya Moyo gave the position of the revolutionary party, in which Zanu-PF warned people who recently went to Njelele to stop visiting the place forthwith or face the full wrath of the law.
He said the issue was brought to the attention of President Mugabe during the Zanu-PF extraordinary Politburo meeting in Harare last Wednesday.
Last month the chiefs met in Esigodini and condemned the visit to the shrine without their approval as custodians of cultural values.
It is the chiefs’ contention that on three different occasions, a group of unknown people numbering about 750, 650 and 150 surreptitiously visited Njelele shrine and forced their way in and conducted cleansing rituals without the knowledge and approval of the local traditional leadership.
The chiefs said anyone was allowed to visit Njelele as long as he or she followed proper channels.
The chiefs said the group visited the shrine at the wrong time of the year, which might anger the gods. Others said the development was a deliberate ploy to undermine the Ndebele traditional leadership and their culture.
It is alleged that the group of visitors went to Mozambique sometime ago where they toured places where liberation war fighters died and were buried during the liberation struggle.
The group reportedly picked up some stones from the mass graves, which they brought to Njelele intending to conduct cleansing rituals as they claimed to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.
Online Reporter