LUSHANDUKO - THE REBIRTH OF BUKALANGA

Last week I blogged an article titled 'Why I am Card-holding Member of the MDC' , and the first comment that was made on the blog posting inspired the present article. I had written in that article on why I am a member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC, the other party being MDC-T). I presented the values, aims and objectives of my party as captured in its Constitution, and argued that they were the kind of values, aims and objectives of a political party that can take this country forward from its pr esent crisis . I also cited the recent Freedom House Report, Change and 'New' Politics in Zimbabwe , which showed a declining support for the MDC-T. I also pointed out that one of the reasons according to the report for the declining support is increasing corruption in the party. But in addition to that, I argued that mistake should not be made to think that MDC-T is now irrelavant. I argued that the party, together with MDC, had sacrificed a lot to attai

…and why you also probably have to consider it too, or consider voting for the Party in the next elections! Following is an extract from the first two pages of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Constitution under the presidency of Professor Welshman Ncube. I am firmly convinced that this man is the best qualified to take this country that we all love through a strong and stable transition process as we move from the thirty years of Zanu PF misrule, mismanagement, etc. MDC remains not only the most democratic party in the country but its constitution clearly states its aims and objectives, which I ask you to read below, as well as the preamble, and see for yourself what drives this party and what it stands for. The recent Freedom House Change and ‘New’ Politics in Zimbabwe shows that MDC-T (the Movement for Democratic Change-Tswangirayi) has been losing a lot of support over the last three years (of course they contest the report), and one of the most cited reasons is

Yes, you heard me. Why in the world should we be required to speak Shona in our government offices, police stations, streets, etc? I am sick and tired of people who happily speak Shona when a Shona person walks into the house, only to complain behind their back that Shonas are destroying our nation. Did they force you to speak Shona? Yes, I know they are in virtually every government office, every border and every roadblock, but did they man-handle you and force you to switch code and speak Shona? Make no mistake, I love Shona people, but I totally reject the idea that being Zimbabgwean is equivalent to being Shona. Why in the world should I prove my Zimbabgweanship by speaking Shona? Look, I have been in offices and places in Harare where people have asked me what country I come from since I only speak English and a language that sounds exotic to them, TjiKalanga, despite Shona elites and scholars claiming TjiKalanga is a Shona dialect (I still do not know why Shonas don’t unders

In my quest for justice, fairness, equality, self-determination and the perpetual unity and indivisibility of Zimbabgwe (not as a unitary state but a federation), I have lately been seized with the issues of people's languages and cultures, the reason being that this is one aspect of life that determines not only one's identity, but their human-hood and sense of pride. This I have been seized with in the context of having lived in two countries, Botswana and Zimbabgwe, where everyone is lumped together into Tswanahood, Shonahood and Ndebelehood, the implication being that one has to be and speak Setswana, IsiNdebele and ChiShona as a condition of acceptance into the broader society. [Shona is used strictly in exclusion of Vakaranga, who it is argued in my book, The Rebirth of Bukalanga , are a Bukalanga People Group, not Shona. Shona is therefore used strictly in reference to what has been called the Central and Northern Shona by Professor David Beach and others, that

This is Chapter One of my next book, The Case for a Federal Republic of Zimbabwe: A Manifesto for the Liberation of a Great People with a Proud History Part II The case for the Federal Republic of Zimbabgwe, what? Federalism divides nations! Zimbabgwe is too small for being a Federation! No, it will lead to secession and disintegration of the country! We have too small a population for Federalism! It will never see the light of day in this country! We are a unitary state, and that unites us, we cannot afford the problems brought about by Federalism! Such are the comments one often meets in the Zimbabgwean political discourse whenever the subject of federalism is raised. From online chatrooms to Facebook groups to some political commentators and political elites, one hears the rallying cry that federalism, or even devolution of power, is a bad idea for Zimbabgwe. But well, the good thing is that such voices are a very small minority in the country. We know from the C