Maravi

(HERALD ZW) Unknown sect tried to visit Njelele: War vets

Unknown sect tried to visit Njelele: War vets
Friday, 17 August 2012 00:57
Bulawayo Bureau

War veterans chairman Cde Jabu­lani Sibanda has said the 568 people who last week attempted to visit the Njelele shrine in Matopos National Park, Mata­beleland South province, are not former freedom fighters but just a reli­gious sect. The war veterans leadership two months ago also disowned the group after it caused a stir because of its series of unsanctioned visits to the shrine, sit­uated in Matobo District.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day celebra­tions at White City Stadium on Tues­day, Cde Sibanda said the group was not made up of war veterans, but were members of an unknown reli­gious sect.

“I cannot continue commenting on those people because the whole thing is nonsense. We have always talked about their conduct that they are not war vet­erans. The truth is that this thing hurts me so much and I do not want to talk about it,” said Cde Sibanda.

“These people are a religious sect and we cannot comment on their issue because we are war veterans and not leaders of a religious sect.”

Asked what measures his organisa­tion would take against the group that has defied warnings by chiefs and politicians, Cde Sibanda said, “Authori­ties should act as they are the ones who should do something about it.”

Cde Sibanda recently said the group was made up of renegades after it called for his sacking.

The 568 caused a stir on Thursday last week when they descended on Matopos National Park and conducted rituals without the knowledge and approval of the traditional leadership from Matabeleland South province.

Meanwhile, political leaders in Mata­beleland South this week con­demned the group saying its visits were disre­spectful.

Governor Angeline Masuku said the Njelele shrine was not a cemetery where bones of dead people are dumped, as doing so was tantamount to polluting an important place used by traditional leaders to ask for rain.

She castigated the chiefs that were involved in the visits, saying they had angered the region and showed no respect for the chiefs in the province.

Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Andrew Langa said the province was not happy with the group’s behaviour.

“While Njelele is a national shrine, it would be nice that those who want to go there should first consult the leader­ship in the province. We were not informed and we are not happy at all,” he said. “It is wrong for chiefs from other provinces to walk into our province without the knowledge of the chiefs in this province.”

Labels: JABULANI SIBANDA

posted by MrK @ 9:02 PM