Police blocked a demonstration planned by Ibhetshu LikaZulu against MDC-T Bulawayo South legislator, Eddie Cross, over his “tribal” comments criticising Ndebele leaders as divisive.
In his opinion piece Cross wrote:
It has not been an easy road to walk, Ndebele interests always wanted special recognition and representation and the influence of tribal affiliation is found in all areas of the country — Chipinge with the Ndau for example.
Now suddenly, the spectre of Ndebele nationalism is raising its head again — a new ‘King’ has been sworn in (the first in a 100 years), a new alliance is proposed between various Ndebele and Zulu dominated groups.
Ndebele leaders, in both Tendai Biti’s party and the MDC-T, are demanding special treatment and threatening to coalesce around a new separatist Ndebele/Kalanga leadership. This is very dangerous and retrogressive and I hope the MDC Alliance will reject this initiative and maintain its historical stance; devolved power and control within a unitary State is the only way forward. Anything else can only take us backward.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu distanced the party from Cross’ article and said that the opinion made by the party’s Bulawayo South legislator were his personal opinions..
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