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British colonialist Cecil Rhodes’s grave haunts Zimbabweans

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BY GARSENDE RAMBOURG

MATOPOS – It’s a sacred hill where for centuries Zimbabweans would go to consult their ancestors.

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It’s also where the notorious British coloniser Cecil John Rhodes chose to be his final resting place.

The white supremacist died more than 120 years ago in South Africa aged 48 after carving out swathes of territory for the British empire.

Part of the land grab, later named Rhodesia in his honour, included modern Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Nestled in the Matobo National Park, his grave is simple, with “Here lie the remains of Cecil John Rhodes” engraved on it.

Part of the younger generation wants his remains removed to rid the country of the last vestiges of colonialism.

But the grave attracts tourists who bring much-needed income for surrounding villages — and many local people oppose any exhumation.

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Located atop a steep hill immersed in lush vegetation, a short climb is necessary to reach the grave, which is surrounded by imposing rocks rounded by erosion.

The stones are covered in light green aniseed and orange lichens that brighten at the slightest touch of the sun.

From the hilltop, visitors gaze at the vast expanse of trees around, where antelopes and warthogs roam.

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Clouds roll across the tranquil horizon while birds chirp in the silence.

In neighbouring South Africa, students at the University of Cape Town launched a “Rhodes-Must-Fall” protest in 2015, initially to pull down Rhodes’s statue at the campus.

It later morphed into a global campaign, which saw Oxford University resisting calls to remove a statue of the politician — placing an explanatory panel next to it instead.

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Often described as a philanthropist but also an arch-racist, Rhodes dreamt of a British Africa from Cape Town to Cairo, with the blessings of Queen Victoria.

Cynthia Marangwanda (37), from Harare, is enraged by the presence of Rhodes grave.

She believes he chose that site because he knew its spiritual significance to the local people.

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It was his “final display of power, a deliberate and calculated act… of domination,” said the activist.

Zimbabwe’s ex-strongman Robert Mugabe, who took the reins from independence from Britain in 1980, saw no reason to remove Rhodes’s remains.

But Marangwanda has been energised by the current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who “understands the significance, the heritage aspect of the debate”.

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Even so, more than five years after Mnangagwa came to power, there is no indication of movement on the issue — or consensus on where the remains would go.

The economic benefits accruing from the tourism, do not hold water for Marangwanda.

“Matobo is such a beautiful landscape, it doesn’t need this colonial grave,” to attract foreign visitors, she stressed.

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The presence of the grave in Zimbabwe is an “insult to our very existence as a people,” said historian and co-founder of Rhodes-Must-Fall campaign Tafadzwa Gwini (33).

Exhuming the remains “is a form of reclaiming our identity as a people”, insists Gwini.

Yet some visitors simply don’t understand the outrage around the grave.

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“I brought my kids.

“I also came here as a kid,” said a 45-year-old white Zimbabwean, Nicky Johnson.

“History shouldn’t be tampered with. He wanted to be buried here, that’s how it should be”.

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Akhil Maugi (28) who lives from nearby city of Bulawayo, shares similar sentiments.

“You can’t erase what happened. No one would come here if this grave was gone,” he said.

Pathisa Nyathi, a 71-year-old local historian, points out that it was “the grandeur of the rocks” that made it a “holy site” that once attracted pilgrims from neighbouring countries.

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The “pre-eminent shrine” in the region “was sacred to Africans” but not to Rhodes, said Nyathi.

Opposition MP and ex-education minister David Coltart, who regularly cycles in Matobo park, brings some humour to the debate saying “I must say Rhodes had an incredible eye for real estate”.

Exiting the park, is a roadside market selling T-shirts, woven baskets and carved animals to tourists.

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A little further is a village with a few houses.

Micah Sibanda, 82, stands barefoot, leaning on a walking stick, overlooking a few cows.

Rhodes’s grave is “important” to the villagers because it attracts visitors who in turn buy crafts “and we get some money to send our kids to school, …get food and clothes.

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After all, Sibanda said, the white visitors are also coming “to pay respects to their own ancestor.” – AFP

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Police Hunt For A Nkayi Murder Fugitive

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

A Nkayi man is reportedly on the run after allegedly assaulting a fellow villager with an unknown object on the head on New Year’s Day. 

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Police have identified the fugitive at Joinisa Tshuma from Dabe village who is being sought for a murder charge. 

“ZRP is appealing for information which may lead to the arrest of Joinisa Tshuma who is being sought in connection with a case of murder in which Mcebisi Moyo died on 07/01/24,” police appealed. 

“The suspect allegedly assaulted the victim on the head with an unknown object near a bush in Dabe Village, Nkayi on 01/01/24 before he fled the scene.”

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According to police, the victim sustained some head injuries and he was admitted at Nkayi District Hospital where he succumbed to the injuries.

Meanwhile, Police in Machipisa are also  investigating a case of murder which occurred on Wednesday, in which a yet to be identified male adult approximately aged 30 years who was wearing a yellow t-shirt, black trousers, black gum boots and a black cap, was found lying dead with a stab wound on the back near Mapuranga Transport Service Garage in Harare. 

Police are also appealing to the public with information surrounding the incident. 

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“Anyone with information to report at any nearest Police Station.” 

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Full ZRP Statement on Armed Robberies Raiding Elite Schools 

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As the schools open, parents and guardians are in the process of paying school fees, levies and other related school costs, for their children.

School authorities are therefore urged to deposit all monies at financial institutions to curb armed robbery cases.

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The issue of collecting cash by school authorities at schools should be reconsidered given the recent armed robbery cases.

The Police has recorded armed robbery cases in Bulawayo and Chinhoyi in which schools are being targeted.

In one of the cases, unknown suspects pounced at George Silundika High School at corner George Silundika Street and Third Avenue, Bulawayo on 06th January 2024, where they stole US$17 280.00 cash which was in a cash box.

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In another case which occurred at Lomagundi College, Chinhoyi on 09th January 2024, 12 unknown suspects attacked security guards before stealing an undisclosed amount of cash, a Mazda Tribute motor vehicle, cellphones and laptops, among other valuables.

School authorities are urged to step up security measures at schools and employ guards from reputable security service providers who constantly monitor and review deployments.

Above all, school authorities should install CCTV at points of entry and administration offices.

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The Zimbabwe Republic Police is concerned that some of these robbery cases are resulting from leakage of information.

Members of the public are warned that those who provide inside information to robbery syndicates will be arrested.

Police crack teams are firm on the ground and will pounce on armed robbery syndicates for the law to take its course in earnest.

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ARTUZ condemns government for opening of school amid Cholera outbreak

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has condemned the government’s decision to reopen schools due to the cholera outbreak wreaking havoc in most parts of the country, labeling the move reckless and disregarding the pressing concerns raised by parents and teachers. 

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Statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care last week showed since the outbreak of cholera, Zimbabwe has recorded 15 137 suspected cholera cases, 1 759 confirmed cases, 14 578 recoveries, 67 confirmed deaths and 266 suspected deaths.

“We vehemently condemn the government’s reckless decision to open schools amidst the widespread cholera outbreak, completely disregarding the pressing concerns raised by parents and teachers,” reads the statement.

“We demand that the government immediately mobilize substantial resources to ensure the safe reopening of schools because our children deserve nothing less than a secure and conducive learning environment. 

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“It is the duty of the government to provide sanitary solutions and ensure the safety and well-being of our children.

The union also called on the government to consider an upward increment of teachers’ salaries, criticizing the government’s lack of engagement with educators, particularly regarding their ongoing demand for a US$1 260 salary.

“Also, it is utterly disappointing to witness such a hasty move without even bothering to engage with the educators who have been tirelessly advocating for a just salary of US$1260.

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“The safety and welfare of our students and teachers should be the utmost priority, but it seems that the government is callously neglecting this responsibility.

“It is high time for the government to prioritize the well-being of our education system and take meaningful action to address the urgent needs of our dedicated teachers. ” 

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