UMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa uphawule okusemthethweni isithombe sokubazwa ngelitshe, iStatue, sika Mbuya Nehanda, esimiswe enzikini yedolobho leHarare, nngoLwesibili, emkhosini wokunanza ilanga lenkululeko yamazwe abensundu ele Africa Day.
Bekuhlatshelwa kugiywa emkhosini weAfrica Day, okulusuku olunanzwe eZimbabwe ngomkhosi wokuphawulwa kwesithombe sika Mbuya Nehanda, yena owabulawa ngabamhlophe ekungeneni kwabo bezohuquluza umnotho welizwe lokubusa abensundu ngocuku loncindezelo.
UNehanda ubikwa lapho esebulawa wafunga ukuba amathambo akhe azavuka, okuyinto uMnangagwa athe yenzakale ngoLwesibili, lapho isibunjwa sesithombe sakhe, eseStatue, simiswe enzikini yeHarare, lapho okuhlangana khona umgwaqo uSamora Machel lo Julius Nyerere.
“Amathambo ami azavuka. Ngempela asevukile! Izizalwane zethu zakhathesi lezizabuya kusasa kumele zikutsho lokhu okwatshiwo ngu Mbuya Nehanda. Ukuvikela inkululeko eselizweni lethu, kumele kuqhubeke”
UMnangagwa uqhubeke esithi uhulumende uzakwenza okusemandleni akhe ukuba athathe amathambo kaNehanda ase Ngilandi esithi lokhu kuyindlela yokulondoloza amasiko elizwe lobuntu baseAfrica.
UMnangagwa uthe ele Zimbabwe lizimisele ukwethemba amazwe awezwekazi leAfrica esikhathini sobunzima ngoba uhulumende wakhe uyakwazi mgceke ukuthi amazwe aleli zwekazi yiwo azimisele ukuma leZimbabwe.
Kodwa okhokhela elinye ibandla eliphikisayo ele Ideas Party of Democracy (IPD) uMnu Hebert Chamuka usole kakhulu indlela uNehanda asesetshenziswa ngayo ukuba iZANU PF ithole usekelo.
“Udaba luka gogo uNehanda, olwenzakale e Harare, ugogo Nehanda imbali yakhe siyayamukela eyokuthi amathambo ami azabvuku. Kodwa sekungathi amathambo alwa asevukela eceleni elilodwa ele ZANU, sekungathi ugogo Nehanda akabona abantu abaphikisayo”
Lokhu kusekekelwe ngu Mnu Felix Mafa umsekeli wesikhulumeli seMDC Alliance, yena othe ilanga le Africa day kalisela sisindo kungenxa yabasembusweni abagcwele uncindezelo izwekazi lonke.
“ I Africa lizwekazi lethu thina abansundu. Ibuswa yisigelekeqe, abantu ababusa ngodlame besekela ukubalawa kwabantu. Uthola ukuba nxa kuvotwa ku United Nations bavotela ukusekela umbuqazwe, lokhu kwenza abantu bazibuze ukuba iAfrica yabusiswa loba yathethiswa”
Kodwa lokhu kuphikiswe ngu Mnu Witness Dube owebandla le MDC-T ekhokhelwa yena othi i-Africa lizwekazi elithembisayo kwezentuthuko.
“Ngelinye lamalanga elitshengisa impumela eyenziwa ngabantwana be Africa ngemva kokubunjwa kwe nhlanganiso ye AU. Kwakubanjiswana ukuthi kukhululwe iAfrica ebuqgilini ngamazwe abelungu”
Kodwa uChamuka uthi leli zwekazi, lilakho ukuthuthuka nxa inkokheli ingamanyana, itshiyane lobandlululo.
“I-Africa kayikabambani, lapho esiya khona njengamazwe e Africa kakuhambelani. Singakhangela ele Mozambique lawelwa ludubo kodwa babalekela emazweni eSouth AFrica lase Botswana bayabotshwa”
Usuku olweAfrica Day luthakazalelwa minyaka yonke mhlaka 25 Nkwenkwezi okulilanga lapho okwabunjwa khona inhlanganiso yomanyano wamazwe awezwekazi labensundu owawubizwa ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi yiOrgnisation of African Union-OAU, ngenjongo yokumanyanisa abensundu ukuthi bamelane lembuso yabahuquluzi benotho ababevela emazwe aphetsheya anjengeBhilithani, France, Portugal lamanye.
Linhlanganiso yacinake isiguqule ibizo ngemva kokuba amazwe wonke awezwekazi leli esethole inkululekho, isibizwa ngokuthi yi African Union-AU.
