MDC-T MP says Zimbabweans must be taught history not propaganda

Full debate:

HON. CHIMANIKIRE:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  Firstly, I would like to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Mandipaka for bringing forward such an important issue.  However, I feel that the mover of the motion did not do justice to it – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Am I protected Madam Speaker?

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chimanikire, you are supposed to be speaking to the Chair.

HON. CHIMANIKIRE:  I just did that and they are trying to intimidate me.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You know the rules of Parliament, so do not respond to them.

HON. CHIMANIKIRE:  But this one (Hon. Nduna) should go and sit on the ZANU PF side.  He is shouting at me.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Hon. Chimanikire, do you want to debate or you want to rule this House?

HON. CHIMANIKIRE:  Madam Speaker, he is shouting at me.  Madam Speaker, the idea of history is a very noble one but there is a difference between history and propaganda.  For example, when one of the speakers referred to the leaders of the liberation struggle, from history and what is on record, the first President of ZANU was Ndabaningi Sithole and not His Excellency Cde. Robert Mugabe.  History records that the first political poetry to be active within the region was under Rhodes, Jameson and the other one was actually the ANC which was formed in South Africa to which the late hero, Joshua Nkomo was a member.  Also, to which Maurice Nyagumbo and the late Hon. Vice President Muzenda were members.  The ANC came first before the formation of a party in the then Rhodesia which was led by Africans.  We started off with the ANC and that is why in 1980, our National Anthem was as good as the national anthem that is currently being sung in South Africa, ‘Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica’.  It was because the foundations of African nationalism started in South Africa.

It did not start in 1966 in Chinhoyi where those who were involved in the Chinhoyi battle were people who came from Chipinge, Malawi and some Zimbabweans.  However, some of the history books that are being written seem to indicate that there were only Shonas who fought in Chinhoyi, yet there were Ndaus and Malawians who were involved in that particular war.  When we look at history, we must have correct history because there were various splits within ZANU and ZANLA forces starting with Lusaka and also in the camps in Mozambique.  So when we talk about history, we should also be truthful enough to say who killed some of our nationalists.  When Masipula Sithole wrote the book, A struggle within the struggle, he pointed out the Nhari Rebellion in Lusaka and we remember that Josiah Tongogara was arrested in Lusaka soon after the death of Chitepo.  Why was that?  Kenneth Kaunda was in charge of law and order in Lusaka and we must also remember that when we talk about history …

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Hon. Chimanikire, please speak to the Chair.

HON. CHIMANIKIRE:  When we talk about history, some of the leading commanders of ZANLA forces were defectors from ZIPRA.  These were Rex Nhongo and Josiah Tongogara.  They moved from ZIPRA camps to ZANLA camps to spearhead the struggle –[HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.]-  I know that is history.

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