Matebeleland Church Leaders Complicit in Gukurahundism aka Shonalization!

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 is, the Zezuru, Korekore and Manyika].

A failure to do so tends to lead to discrimination and ostracization from that society, and acceptability tends to depend on one's command of the three languages. This invariably arrests the human development of those who do not belong to the said ethnic groups or speak their languages (there is serious debate on whether there are ethnic groups called Ndebele and Shona in Zimbabgwe). This is certainly a broad subject, and I would like to limit myself here to the issue of the shonalization of Bukalanga, the so-called Matebeleland, the Midlands and Maswingo Provinces, but limiting myself to Matebeleland in the meantime. This I want to address specifically to the Church, and moreso the Church leadership who have since become complicit in and guilty of actively participating in this agenda - gukurahundism.      

I am sure most of us are aware of the document called the Zanu Grand Plan. That document has its origins in 1979, and a review was written in 2005 I believe. The document envisages Zimbabgwe as a purely Shona country, with ChiShona as the only language. That document was the basis of Gukurahundi. Naturally, Shona political elites dispute that they are the ones who authored the document, though interestingly, everything we see happening in this country is exactly according to the script of that document. For example, the document says Shona shall be the national language; Shonas shall be preferred in allocation of jobs, especially in the public service; land shall preferably be given to the Shona; priority in giving out of loans shall be given to the Shona, etc. We see all this happening today. Interestingly Dr Dumiso Dabengwa recently pointed out that the document is a Zanu creation.

What I want to point out is that Church leaders in Matebeleland, especially in the Pentecostal movement, have become complicit in this evil agenda of Shona political elites (I emphasize Shona political elites because I don’t believe every Shona is guilty of the same nor supports this agenda). Sunday in Sunday out one witnesses hundreds of churches where Shona is now the de facto official language. From songs to announcements to sermons, Shona is now cast as an 'official language'. It is uncommon to always find out that out of say seven songs sung in the service, five are Shona, perhaps one English, with only one Ndebele, and rarely ever in TjiKalanga, Sesotho, TshiVenda, TshiTonga, etc. What really is it that has happened to our leaders? 

Yes, I know the Bible calls us to love. But isn't the same Bible calling us to justice, to free the oppressed? Wasn't it our Lord Jesus' mission to free the oppressed and captive? I know some will say language isn't important. Really? If the Shonalization of our region disadvantages the learning of our children, is that just? If Shona public officers fail to effectively serve us due to the language barrier, is that just? If our people are denied jobs and the jobs are allocated to Shonas, is that just? In any case, is disrespecting our languages, identity and culture just and fair? Wasn't it the Apostle Paul who declared that with God there is no favoritism, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Greek nor Schist? Was it not Paul who said that to the Jews I became a Jew, and to the Gentiles I became a Gentile, so that I might by all means save some? Why then do you want to be a Jew to the Gentiles and a Gentile to the Jews?

Wasn't it John the Revelator who stated that at the end of human history he saw people of all languages, cultures and identities gathered before the throne of God? What makes you, Church leaders of Matebeleland; think our languages shouldn't be there too? Surely it was Paul who wrote that there are many different languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning!

If the Church leaders of Matebeleland are collaborating with the evil agenda of some Shona political elites, which I call 'Shonalization' or 'Gukurahundism', what makes them think we like fellowshiping in their churches? I may not agree with the doctrinal positions of the Roman Catholic Church, but surely they usually stand for justice, fairness and equality, and I support that. Let me also applaud Brethren in Christ, Assemblies of God, London Missionary Society, some Methodists, and the Zion, Apostolic and other so-called mainline Churches for siding with the people of Matebeleland in their struggle for justice, fairness and equality. Major Pentecostal churches like Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe (PAOZ), Family of God (FOG), Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA), Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) and others have lost the plot.

Their gospel is now that of giving and receiving, prosperity, healing, bling bling, etc. Rarely if ever will one hear a sermon on justice and equality. Yes, I know I am touching raw nerves here, but let's face it, in a liberal and democratic society that we all want to build there are no taboo topics. All topics have to be discussed for the sake of peace, unity, justice and fairness. Suppressing difficult topics will only lead to ferment and fusion of tempers which will only explode on us at some future point with destruction of atomic proportions. Let us not forget that Rwanda was regarded as almost 100% Christian, and yet that did not stop the murder of about 800,000 people in 100 days!

It pains my heart to see that Church leaders in Matebeleland allow Shona to take over our region as the official language of their churches. Is this by design or by mistake? Or is it sheer cowardice on their part? Should we be terrorized by Shona speaking police officers on our roads; Shona public officers at our government offices and borders; Shona teachers incapacitating the learning of our children in the schools; etc, only to go through the same in our Sabbath and Sunday services in Church? Isn't the church supposed to be the most just and fair of all places in the world? Matebeleland Church leaders I am ashamed of you.

I ask you, which side are you standing on? The side of the oppressed or the oppressor? Yes, I know ministry can't be led by ethnic affiliation. But why do you allow the more prevalent use of Shona in our churches while in Mashonaland the same can't be allowed? Or are you saying Shona people are so important they need to be accommodated and taken care of, but our people are less important so they can always sit in Shona speaking churches and be ministered to in Shona? Why, why, why?

Am I being emotional about these issues? Yes! We cannot fail to be emotional when our rights and freedoms are daily trampled upon and the Church becomes complicit in an evil and genocidal agenda. No wonder why churches like PAOZ, FOG, ZAOGA, AFM, etc are filling their ranks with Shona people in Matebeleland and failing to attract the locals, for it seems they are there to carter for Shona people only.

It surely wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that these churches have become outposts of Shona imperialism and tyranny just like our universities, police stations and government offices. What makes these churches think that people of Matebeleland love to come and praise God in a language associated with the pains of Gukurahundi? Isn't this the same language that was used to bayonet our pregnant women who were accused of giving birth to dissidents? Isn't this the same language that people were forced to sing in whilst dancing on the shallow graves of their loved ones? Isn't this the same language that saved people from the guns of the 5th Brigade? Why now should we be asked to use the same language more than our own in our Sabbath and Sunday services? Or does God only understand Shona in Zimbabgwe? Yes, these are painful questions, but we need to ask them.

Am I being tribalistic? I know this is what some will say. But who is a tribalist he who fights for their rights and freedoms and one who is oppressing the freedoms and rights of others? Who is a tribalist I, a Kalanga, fighting to have my language used in education, the media and government, and the Church, and the one suppressing that? Imagine Ian Smith and his white government calling our liberation fighters "racists"! The tribalists are those who suppress the languages, cultures and identity of others in the process arresting their human development. And Matebeleland church leaders, you have become complicit in the agenda of Gukurahundism a.ka. Shonalization. And that is shameful. Not only so, it is sinful! Let me bring to your attention these words from that shepherd who tended his sheep in the plains of Tekoa:

 

"I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice – oceans of it. I want fairness – rivers of it. That's what I want. That's all I want" (Amos 5: 21-24, Message).     

Yes, that is what God wants. I know that some Shona people reading the preceding article will brand me the devil's very own son. But let us face it: Would any Shona people be willing to have their region taken over by the language of another? Would we really be happy to see Mashonaland taken over by the Karanga, or Manicaland taken over by Bakalanga? Would Zezuru people in Mashonaland accept it to see every Church, government office and street filled with amaNdebele who refuse to learn or speak Zezuru, but only insist on isiNdebele, expecting you, their hosts, to change your language and speak theirs?

Any one of us who is honest in answering these questions will say NO. But why then should we think that we in Bukalanga love to see our region taken over, and us being forced to speak Shona because the Shona who come to work amongst us refuse to learn or speak our languages? Does not the Scriptures declare that if I do not know the language you are speaking, then you are a foreigner to me? Who wants to see their ancestral land taken over by 'foreigners'?

Surely, this is not tribalism as many like to charge, this is a simple quest for justice, equality and fairness. As much as it was wrong for Whites to horse-peg Shona land and make it their farms, it is similarly wrong for Shona people to impose themselves on the ancestral land of another. Yes, I know that as long as one is a Zimbabgwean citizen they have a right to reside wheresoever they choose, but does it not follow that he who chooses to go and reside in a certain area should learn the language of that area and adapt themselves to the culture there? Would Shona people accept it if the Ndebele were to resettle in Mashonaland, but refuse to speak the Shona language? Surely they will respond by saying the Ndebele are being tribalistic, won't they?

Such are the questions that we need to answer, and when we ask them, it does not mean that we hate Shona people. Instead, we are looking for peace, unity, equality, justice and freedom for all. It would only be fair and just for us to all agree to use English as a national language and use our indigenous languages in each of our regions, with the exception of the cosmopolitan cities of Harare and Bulawayo. But again that means one has to have the same amount of freedom to speak TjiKalanga, Tshivenda or isiNdebele in Harare as much as one would have the same freedom to speak Shona in Bulawayo, instead of being told "andizwi" (I don’t understand your language), yet at the same time expecting the other party to understand yours! We certainly can learn each other's languages and converse well as they do in South Africa where all languages and cultures are respected and people make every effort to learn each other's languages.

Whilst I am still there, let me also address especially the Ndebele, or those who think that they are Ndebele. They too are some of the biggest accomplices in this agenda. I have seen so-called Ndebele people who have lived in Hwange or Plumtree or Beitbridge for the rest of their lives, but claiming that they cannot speak TjiNambya, TjiKalanga or Tshivenda. And yet when a Shona person walks into the house, they are the first to switch code and speak Shona. What a betrayal!

Or are they suggesting that our languages are inferior and not worthy of learning? Why then blame Shona and cry lafa elihle and yet you are a very willing participant in that which you claim is destroying your nation? Why can't we all hold our fort and stick to our languages and let Shona people who come to settle amongst us know that they have to switch code, not us? Look, when we go to Mashonaland, we respect their languages and cultures and switch code to theirs. But why should not the same happen in our region?

I challenge us all: let us stick to our guns and hold our fort, speak our languages and practice our cultures. Shona people are no better owners of this country than anyone else, and there is nothing to stop them from learning TjiKalanga, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, TjiNambya, etc. With us Bakalanga and Banambya it's even worse. Shona elites like to claim that our languages are Shona dialects. As such, we have to stick to our so-called 'Shona dialects', and if they can't understand, ndaba dza mayi.

This is what will earn us respect for ourselves and our ancestral land. Switching code to Shona only legitimizes the Gukurahundism agenda and advances the Big Lie that Bukalanga (Matebeleland) "was once Shona land stolen by the Ndebele." That is a lie from the devil's very own office, and we cannot continue to allow it to go unchallenged. 

Now, it is only those bent on linguistic and cultural domination, tribal hegemony, discrimination, inequality, and imperial rule who will be opposed to this kind of set-up. Such are the real enemies of this great country. Such are they that are opposed to justice, freedom and the unity and indivisibility of this country, not those that are fighting for their rights. The real enemies of Zimbabgwe are those who believe that being Zimbabgwean equates to being Shona, or more specifically to being Zezuru, who view every non-Shona as a "foreign settler" worth of second-class citizenship treatment.

Anyone genuinely interested in building the great nation that we all want Zimbabgwe to be will accept that we are a nation of diverse people - a diverse nation of Vakaranga, Bakalanga, Vhavenda, Basotho, Manyika, Mazezuru, amaNdebele and many others. Such are they that will, to borrow words from the South African Constitution, say that "We believe that Zimbabgwe belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity." Surely, there is no need for us all to be Shona for this country to stand united. Neither is there need for us to be bundled up as Shona and Ndebele in order to attain true unity. Real and true unity can only be achieved in our diversity, not in uniformity!

The notion that somehow others are late arrivals in the country and therefore are not citizen enough is the kind of thinking that threatens the unity of this great country. A great Zimbabgwe can only be built when we accept one another as fellow and full citizens, without having to prove our citizenship by having to speak Shona or have a Shona sounding name. Zimbabgwe, such is our national challenge, a sacred duty to build this nation on our diversity, united, free and prosperous, a Zimbabgwe that every citizen will feel proud to identify with, and Matebeleland Church leaders, don’t be caught on the wrong side of history!   

Ndaleba imi n'Kalanga, ndili nkololo waNdzangelana, nkololo waJoko, nkololo waTibapi, waTadubana, nkololo waMakulukusa. Ndili nzekulu waBaLozwi nabaPeri, Mperi waMagogo waMatenge.