From the Liberty Wall – Nations without States
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MATEBELELAND is named after its inhabitants the Ndebele, a distinct ethnic group who share a common culture and language. Situated in the West of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) it consists of three provinces – Matebeleland North, Matebeleland South and Bulawayo.
The Ndebele are proud of their traditions, customs and way of life. They want nothing more than to simply live in peace and freedom.
However, the hated President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has other ideas. Since the formation of Zimbabwe in 1980, Mugabe has conducted a war against the Ndebele. This has varied in intensity from tribal discrimination (Mugabe belongs to a group known as the Shona) to genocide.
With this in mind is it any wonder that the Ndebele want Self-Determination?
However, just talking about this concept has landed Paul Siwela – President of the Matebeleland Liberation Organisation – in hot water. Paul and the MLO want a negotiated settlement with Mugabe. All they want to do is peacefully break away from Zimbabwe and set up a Republic of Matebeleland. They are more than willing to live with their Shona neighbours in peace and co-operate with them when and where necessary.
Mugabe doesn’t see it like this. Thus Paul Siwela has been placed virtually under house arrest and will soon be on trial for High Treason.
Despite the unpopularity of Mugabe the world’s media has strangely been silent on this matter. As one of Paul Siwela’s supporters noted:
“The problem is that outside Bulawayo, the press is boycotting Paul’s case. Not a peep out of the usually anti-Mugabe press in the UK or South Africa. The only thing worse in their eyes than Mugabe is a so called secessionist. Believe me, we have tried – this treason trial should be big news.”
Nations without States supports the idea of Self-Determination for all. Thus they have produced an e-poster (pictured) which prominently features the recently unveiled flag of the much-longed-for future Republic of Matebeleland. The e-poster attempts to draw attention to Paul’s case in particular and the right of his people to a free and sovereign State of their own – Matebeleland.
NwS urges everyone to repost this e-poster – it needs to go viral – to draw attention to the suffering of the Ndebele under Mugabe’s near totalitarian rule.
Check out the Liberty Wall HERE
Date: October 27, 2012
Categories: Articles, International News