MPC is about a common vision and shared values



“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you.
Then you win.” - Ghandhi


I often feel sad and pained when people remark: “You think you can get uMthwakazi’s independence by talking to Zanu-PF? You must be dreaming. Zanu-PF is vicious; independence will only come through force!”

Those remarks surrender a fundamental set of values to the system in Harare and define a world-view reduced only to the option of violence. It is this surrender of our soul to Zanu-PF that my message today focuses on.

By the end I hope I will have made the convincing argument that, as people, whether we view ourselves as Mthwakazians or Zimbabweans, we can and should reclaim the moral and ethical ground that we have surrendered to Zanu-PF in Zanu-PF’s thirty-year misrule. I also hope I will have illustrated that those 30 years of political strangulation have lasted only because we have killed the truth. In the main, I hope I will have shown that what MPC is involved in is not just politics but pioneering the redefinition of a common vision and the cultivation of a new set of shared values we can call our own.

Even as I begin to write this message, I cannot help but imagine readers asking aghastly: “Where does he get the courage to ‘challenge’, or risk the wrath of, Zanu-PF?

Let me make this my point of entry into my message.
Read full story at http://wwww.mthwakazionline.org

I just browsed through undendende we address kaNtshamathe wansondo (l have no time for such long & empty speeches) & gained nothing. Nansi indaba: i-velvet divorce yabo lena kuthiwa izo letha iMthwakazi secessionist enclave within 5yrs (countdown having commenced in 2008). Kushukuthi sekusele less than 4yrs ukuthi siyi bone ngamehlo leyo independent Mthwakazi state - nokho njenga manje umzabalazo wenkululeko yayo usase limited to Ntshamathe's internet speeches & scattered weekend talk shows in UK. Now, unless kuwukuthi abantu bakaMthwakazi wansondo bayi zilima ezivuz' amathe ezi khohliseka kalula - lephupho angeke lize lifezeke! Ayi dumi kanje ma izosuka.

Mthwakazi, now we have our own Thabo-Moeletsi situation with a Mkhwana[n]zi attacking a brother Mkhwana[n]zi though I don't think Moeletsi Mbeki ever used such crude language in his comments on brother Thabo.
Kodwa kuhle lokho ngoba kutsho ukuthi akusoze kube le nepotism in UMR ngoba uMzansi-Shamase kasoze abe ngu UMR ambasador khonale. Ngeny' imini uzaba yi lunga le MPC lo mzansi-Shamase yena ongelakudla lent'enhle angayitsho ngomzabalazo.

Sebefohlile abaphathi be MPC, that's a good step which we must all applaud hayi ukusola njalo-nje. Now sekumele basebenze okubonakalayo, sibafisela inhlanhla.

As much as i support the idea of having a political force coming from our region and possibly improving the livelihoods of people in our region, i think MPC needs a lot of groundwork at home. The atmosphere, is not very nice for campaigns and they should be prepared to take a long and hard walk, of convincing people door-by-door to support their ideas.

I will take more to realise the objectives set out by MPC.

IF, I HAVE TO BE HONEST TO MY FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS, I WILL DIE BEFORE SUCH STATE CAN BE FORMED.
OK, my challenge and appriciation of the group is this, its an idea of forming a fist,backbone,identity, and a center gathering point of NDEBELE as a whole.
That said, what i wish and hope can be done is make financial institution, bizness with strong ,city names such as BYO, PLUMTREE, TSHOLOTSHO, NKAYI ETC, so that the up coming generation can see and behold the beauty of and diretion of success.(WHY PAY INTERETS,FEES ETC TO COMPANIES WHICH DO NOT DEVELOP THE REGION?) Now as the gentleman has indicated, its taken as a joke!!! at the end of the day you will be libelled a "TERRORIST GROUP" WHY? becoz its absurd to form a state within a state according to the law imporsed and recognised by UN. i wish a civil society or a council can be formed rather, with its powerful influence on how and what should and shouldnt be done in those provinces of NDEBELEland. IF there is a dispute whether you are Ndebele or not overseas where do they get authecity? THEy should approach NDEBELE society in MTHWAKAzi!!Lets not be ill-advised. lets be realistic and of good sound.Yes this site is jus for ...whatever it is...but we must heat hard all times . educate ourself with ENGLISH strongly linked to ndebele..lets rise above our campabilities. NDEBELES , LET LIGHT SHINE IN YOU, IF WE DO WHAT IS RIGHT GOD WILL DO THE REST. i remeber a story of a heardboy who lost 5cows and was shitting himself as the thought of beeing whiped with a shabok was playing tricks in his mind,shivering, he explained to his father all the efforts he made to recover the cows, all the memos he did to his fellow cowboys, after hearing such plea and all possible means done by the boy, the father said, WELLDONE SON, YOU did all i trained you to do. Guess what? he was welcomed with joy by his father and not punished.WEll, lets do all we can brethren , GOD GAVE US INTELLINGECY, IT WONT BE TAKEN BUT CAN BE USELESS IF NOT USED.
peace out!!

Thank you MPC!!!

Well done, well done, keep it up, big up man, that is exacvtly what we have been waiting for, to see the face of the organisations's president and know his true names. Today you have passed that test 94%. I am keeping 6% for myself, i am stingy, in reality you scored 100%.Now is the time, the time is now, reorganise and reconstitute ourselves as a people.No amount of rhetoric and detractors will sway us from supporting and joining this Independence Movement.

Once again, thank you MPC.

Kanti vele usama-Undendende ngubani lapha enkundleni? Kwehla ngamphimbo munye!

Ha! lami sengiyibalile i-address kaPresident. Ngithanda ukuxolisa phambilini kuMthwakazi ngoba ngiyazi we are disciplined, respectful, subordinate and ngilobuhlungu entanyeni njenge phimpi ngithi bazoyifundi valiwe. Bazezwi ngani bayatsha. Ngigcwele amagama amaqatha but ngibona kungcono ngifunde masinya ukuhlonipha kukaMthwakazi, but I m telling you, I mready for them, noma ngilele anytime. Uxolo sibili bakwethu inhlamba engiyigcwelwe emlonyeni ngiyakhafula lamhla ngiyayigqibela ngithi pinde ungizwe. I AM JUST INSPIRED! I M FULL OF VALOUR. Tshisa MPC! PRESIDENT YOU ARE A MYSTERIOUS BEING. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A SPIRIT OF MAN. A carnal mind has not such capacity. hahaha Iduma so ma isisuka!!!!, kwethu anyway.

leyo-nto ye MPC inginikeza isibindi

Yazi angisitholi iskapenya these days Doc, ake ungeluleke ukuthi ngingasithola kanjani.
Yeah Doc, kuyezwakala lokhu okushoyo, kodwa okungimangazyo yikuthi wena indlela okhuluma ngayo ingathi ufuna ukuma kumasidelines, benze abanye, wena ubukele, kuthi lapho sebehlulekile ube suyahleka noma kuthi lapho bephumelele nawe ube yingxenye yokuhlinza noma ukuhlomula.
I agree with you 100% lapho uthi iMPC isasalelwe ngumsebenzi omkhulu kakhulu, yikho kumele ikhankase emphakathini wakithi ukuze yazakale njalo abantu basho ukuthi umbono wayo we independence kaMthwakazi bayavumelana nawo na. Wena umi kuphi kulokho Doc? Nawe uyisizalwane njalo ingxenye yosapho lwakwaMthwakazi.

Sengathi kukhona okushaya amanzi mnumzane. Caca sikesibone. Uyabona kulenkulumo yakho engiyiphanyeke lapha, ngithanda ukusho ukuthi ulahlekile, wena usakhuluma ngokusuka yona ivele isisuke kudala.

mhlawumbe ngeyeliktrikhi/electric topi uyosala esilindweni ulinde uvroom vroom we-gas. kanti njalo i-bedford ethwala ingulube ayidumi njengeS600 kodwa ziyasuka.

loNkomo naye waqala bemeya bemhleka, loObama iCNN yaqala intela isithi 'who is Osama' besebeyothi yi-typographical error namhlanje uyiCommander in-chief of one of the most powerful countries in the world, and plainly speaking, in political circles, it doesn't get better than that.

iMPC mayilandele izinqumo zayo nxa ithi kalidatshulwe, ngenyimini lizodatshulwa nakanjani. Ngiyethemba iMPC inayo inhliziyo ngoba kuzoba nabomona, nezitha, nabokweya, nabahlambalazayo, nabasolayo, nabalandeli, nabecuphi, nabathengisi,nabalulazayo, nemigovu , nemikhonyovu,nababulali, nenswelaboya kunye nabathakathi. yonke lemikhando is fairly and squarely represented kwilesisigungu. I sincerely aplaud MPC sofar for affording and protecting their democratic rights to represent their fractions, factions and sections. bonke laba ngesilungu kuthiwa yi-electorate nxa kuyiWestern Democracy, makuyiEastern kuthiwa yiPovo, very necessary for political success.

Good thing that the MPC president has finally come out to lead. Now MPC will be a movement of the people, by the people and for the people. The speech was excellent and the chap is a great writer. However he missed one crucial point, to hinge the movement's desire for a state on the basis that Mthwakazi was a state before being colonised with its governance structures and therefore the movement is for the restoration of such a state. The argument put forward by this group called Mhlahlo is indeed the basis for the argument for the restoration of Mthwakazi as a state.

That is the fundamental argument point for this partition or secession which MPC should sing over and over again. The other points about marginalization and Gukurahundi are just add ons and are not the fundamental arguments for secession.

Jah Dingani Irie?
Whilst you are still at it could you please take a look at this and try to explain to us the fundamental political differences therein. Thank you.
http://www.inkundla.net/ubbthreads7olde/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=41771#Post41771

Mthakathi, I see the point you are mentioning and the supposed shift MPC is supposed to have taken. I doubt the enemy will accept that shift and give MPC room to operate in Zimbabwe freely and be part of the election process. I am sure MPC is aware of that. Furthermore MPC has always stated that they will not participate in the electoral process in Zimbabwe. That message has always been loud and clear from them. I doubt they have made any shift in that. It might be a case of using partition and secession interchangibly. I might be wrong.

Ngiyabonga Jah, uliLasta elikhulu wena, kodwa ke mina i do not take these strategic politiocal shifts likely. I am aware that the end results would be the same i.e. an Independent state of Mthwakazi. There must be a reason why the President or the MPC thought of changing their modus operandi. Mr Mkhwananzi said it was not a matter of semantics, but there are fundamental differences. I agree with you Jah on that the enemy would not differentiate between secession and partition, to them it is one and the same thing.
Let me again try to analyse this shift focusing particularly on the election participation, it my belief that this shift has two purposes, that is a legal basis and a political basis. On legal basis the aim is to run away from the notion of violence and the legal implications therein. If an organmisation is violent and seeks to reconstitute a state by means of violence, these days it is hard to get international support and recogntion and it might fight itself at the Hague, answering for war crimes. The political basis is intricately linked with legal factors as well, but here it is essential to note that MPC as a movement has chosen a peaceful political solution and therefore the Partition approach supposes that there would be no violence employed in attaining Mthwakazi's goal of Independence. The mere fact that this Partition approach has dichotonomous effects means that MPC leaders are clever and they would not be found wanting on any front. I suspect that the MPC would want to try to participate in the elections, even if you read the President's message, his unsually or deliberate use of the words "Mthwakazi and Zimbabwe", is definitely telling. The language has somewhat changed from the norm, and i think this is deliberate too, just to psychologically condition or prepare its supporters for the elections.

What are implications of MPC's participation in the electoral process?
To be honest, i am not sure, but i think we need to look at what the MPC stands for, in short the MPC stands for the Independence of Mthwakazi. So if it were to be seen participating in Zim elections it would be regarded or treated like organisations like PUMA, ZAPU Federal Party; LPZ etc, these organisations are seen as tribalistic or representing the interests of just a few in the Zimbabwean political context. I am afraid that the MPC shall fall in the same category and therefore swiftly into oblivion. Yes, there may be advantages of MPC participating in the elections, such as gaining the political mandate from the elctorate and influencing the Zimbabwean politics from within, but not from within ZANU as Jonah (allegedly tried to do). I am not expecting any response from the MPC but some kind of clarification would be appreciated.

inkinga ngabantu abafana nawe jah no jazi yikuthi into okuthiwa democracy aniyazi futhi aninayo. ilungelo lomuntu alilazi. aninandaba nalo. aliluhloniphi. uma sikhuluma ngoMthwakazi sikhuluma ngesizwe asakhiwa ngokuhlonipha ilungelo lomuntu. kulilungelo lethu singuMthwakazi ukuthi asifuni ukuhlanganiswa namaTshona. ungasho ukuthi siphazamisa izanu namaTshona. that is a better arguement. kodwa ukuthi ningafunga nigomele ukuthi niyohlala nicekela phansi amalungelo okwaMthwakazi you cant garantee that. times they are changing. you cant keep us as your slaves for kunaphakade. you know what i mean. respect human rights. its not a joke.

Duze
Kanti umfowethu uJah uyenzeni, utheni sibili? Sengibuyele ngafunda futhi lapho abhale khona, angiyitholi into embi loma engalunganga ayibhalileyo. Siza utsho ukuthi yini leyo wena oyibonileyo embi.

Mthakathi.
okungicunulayo yikuthi lojah ugcizelela ukuthi iMPC, nabo abatshintshe legama labo licishe lifane neMDC, abathi kwaMthwakazi PC,uthi yena leKMPCyathi it will never take part in an election in that country. so waht if the organization has shifted?

Mthakathi,

Thank you for that insightful analysis of yours. Are u a legal mind? It well might be the case that MPC is now adopting a twin approach to the issue. This would be a legal route and indeed the route they have long announced, the political process of negotiations. The aims of MPC as posted by Mr. Kirth Dube seem to point to these routes. I might be wrong.

Duze,
Confrontation is not my field of excellence. Debate and sharing views without some kind of instrumental aggression is my play ground. At the same time I admire your passion about MPC politics but welcome to the real world of debate.

As I am not an Inkundla forumite I have asked uKirth Dube to upload this contribution for me. Kirth does not therefore have any connection to this contribution. The contribution is also written in my private capacity and is not the opinion of MPC.

I wish to thank all you Inkundla forumites who have made contributions with regard to our new site and the message I put out in my capacity as MPC's interim president. I extend my thanks both to those that support me and MPC as well as those that criticise us. Sizakwakhiwa yini. I read Inkundla a lot and I think it is a wonderful thing that this forum exists. I cammend its administrator.

First things first. I have come to Inkundla really just to drive the point home that MPC is about political engagement between and accross all divides, as Kirth said in his posting yesterday. I have come perhaps also to say things more freely than I would if writing in an official capacity. Hopefully, all you forumites will not see this as a 'superior' body muscling in.

Reading through all of your contributions I cannot help but notice an under current of either staunch supporters or very angry opponents of MPC. Clearly, MPC has hit a raw nerve. (Notice, I don't say a right or wrong nerve). Senwaye lapho okuluma khona, as someone recently said. That is what we intended.

But for me, it is not whether we are supported or opposed. What is important is that we see people engaging politically with this difficult issue of our time. Some of those so opposed are not doing so out of hatred, though some of them are. I believe some of those criticising MPC are doing so out of a genuine fear that this project might not be practical and attainable and will only sap our people's energies to go for options that are 'achievable' and 'practical'. Those that support us perhaps already appreciate the practicality and the attainability of MPC's project. Those are two different viewpoints and positions.

I see our role as being persuasion, to win people over, not just by what we say but critically by what we will do. It is never an easy to be defining and to challenge the mainstream. You can go back as far as you can in history. You will see that what made history and will continue to make history is the defining and not the mainstream. Barak Obama was only right to remind his fellow Americans at his inauguration that America's greatness comes through when America is challenged by difficult time. It must be with all nations. So must it be with ours.

What we see as settled today, and take for granted, was built through blood and sweat. America's democracy is an example. Our own history is proof of that. Estimates are that Mzilikazi started off with around 2000 or so men, women and children. Here we are today. The world abounds with such examples.

I also note that there are concerns with MPC's methods of work and whether there is a difference between partition and secession and whether those two positions entail different working methods and whether this implies MPC should now enter Zimbabwe's elections.

First, let me say there is a lot we are learning from contributions to Inkundla that make us think twice and reflect. We can only express our appreciation to those contributions. Second, I don't wish to engage these issues directly because these are matters MPC's NEC are discussing and fine-tuning. I do not therefore wish to pre-emptthose discussions.

However, I can comment generally about our working method because that is now in the public domain. I do so not by advocating MPC's position but by a general statement why we should not and cannot choose any other method - armed struggle, for example - which has been banded about in the past and which I comment on briefly in my message posted on our site.

See, the international political architecture that facilitated armed struggle has long gone. What we have seen inn recent years as armed movements have really been relics of that old order. But if you look at the post-Cold War history of all those movements, right accross the world, all those armed movements have begun unravelling. Closer home, look at Unita, Renamo, Polisario Liberation Front, just to mention a few in Africa. Further afield look at Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), ETA, IRA in Europe. In Asia one of the last remaining such movements, Tamil Tigers, was only some two weeks routed by the Sri Lankan army. The last time I saw something about them, their capital was surrounded by the Sri Lankan army. I could go on ......

The critical question is why these setbacks? Critically for us, why go where everybody is coming from, and has failed? Granted, there are others who succeeded but it is critical to know when?

My point is, politics is about judgment (which you can get right or wrong) and vision. I think MPC's reading of the world is the correct one and holds promise. Our region is rebuilding after years of war in the region, quite rightly, and it is simply the wrong idea to think that any other method would work. MPC believes that it can work with and within the mechanisms and governments in the region and further afield and achieve what we want to achieve. I think MPC is right.

There is also the point about whether being MPC and fighting for Mthwakazi makes anyone enemies or excludes them. Nothing could be more disgusting. What is happening in present-day Zimbabwe affects everybody inside it, whether they are Ndebele or Shona, Indian or Coloured, Khalanga or Xhosa, Tonga or Tshangani etc.

But here is the crucial difference. The rest of Zimbabwe is only a recent addition to this suffering. UMthwakazi has suffered since 1980 and is still suffering today.

And there is a further difference. By its very construction, Zimbabwe says you and I are excluded from the leadership of present-day Zimbabwe because we are not the right tribe. So, even if you had the right ideas you should keep quiet or if you need to advance them you should find a Shona person who should then talk on your behalf. Look at Zanu-PF and both factions of the MDC. They are paradigms of Zimbabwe's own construction. I beg to differ.

Discrimination is discrimination, whether it is on the basis of race, tribe, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, background, place of origin etc. Each leads to its own detrimental consequences. Rhodesia's discrimination was race. It led to a war. Zimbabwe's, is tribe, and if handled carelessly has ominous prospects for future generations (it already does). Had Zimbabwe been constructed differently, perhaps MPC would not have existed and had Rhodesia been constructed differently we would not have had Zapu and Zanu, and a war.

Therefore, contrary to what people might say MPC's agenda is also Zimbabwe's agenda. It would be a failure of political judgment if in our work as Mthwakazi and MPC we failed to engage and accommodate those we consider our political adversaries in our debates and aspirations. We should win them over to the wisdom (note, I don't say 'goodness') of partition.

To those who are concerned about how long this 'political process of MPC' will take, I can only remind them that they are today the consumers of an end-product some of whose creators never saw, whether it be Mzilikazi or Zimbabwe's independence. Its sacrifice for just causes. The selfishness of our time must give way to the selflessness and sacrifice of old, which has enabled all of us today to enjoy the political labour of others who have left us.

Finally, I need to say this: those of us who have come out openly to advance uMthwakazi's agenda will be attacked by the whole apparatus of Shona domination, with all the might it has at its disposal, to defend its advantage and opportunity. (The use of the word 'Shona' is regrettable but unavoidable). I think it will be foolhardy of all of you Mthwakazians if you failed to come to our defence and hold the fort with us becuase when that machine starts rolling it will not care nor know that you don't support or you despise MPC. It will roll with merciless efficiency over all of you as it has done in the past. This is fact. The system politicises anything you do, whether its a football club, a co-operative, a sewing club etc etc. How else could it be if it politicises uMthwakazi's very being?

Above all, I think we should shape ourselves as we want to. My message was that we should not allow anyone to force us to shape ourselves in their image, as most of us have tended to over the years. We have a character. Let us let it show and speak. We are who we are. I am not afraid or apologetic to say I am Ndebele and proud to be so.

The future lies with political dialogue and engagement, regardless of the enormity of the task at hand. Once we get this wrong with MPC, as we did with Zimbabwe, we will have made a costly mistake. Debate and engagement begin now and not later. And we should guard against the creation of a personal cult. It is the begin of the end. These are my personal opinions.

I hope to join Inkundla soon and become a regular contributor.

Ndaba