‘No to Joshua Nkomo North Korean statue’
A Bulawayo-based pressure group, Ibhetshu Likazulu, has threatened to mobilise residents to pull down a statue of the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo if it turns out to be the same North Korean-designed artefact rejected by residents and the late politician’s family last September.
But Home Affairs co-minister Kembo Mohadi said: “I am not going to answer any questions about that issue at the moment. I will be in Bulawayo next weekend where I will hold a press conference and I will answer all your questions.”
The statue is set to be re-erected in Bulawayo and Harare soon.
Last week, Zanu PF said it would go ahead with the erection of the statue, claiming the late nationalist’s family had withdrawn their objection.
Government bowed down to pressure from the Nkomo family last year not to erect the statue at Karigamombe Centre in Harare.
Karigamombe Centre, whose name is perceived to refer to Nkomo’s defeat by President Robert Mugabe, was constructed during the Gukurahundi massacres of the early 1980s.
Mqondisi Moyo, spokesperson for the pressure group, said: “We would like to urge the family and the selected committee handling this issue not to allow the already-made statue by the North Koreans to be erected.
“The family cannot refuse the statue to be erected at Karigamombe Centre but accept the statue made by the North Koreans, as there is no difference in the two.”
The North Korean-trained army crack unit, the Fifth Brigade, in the early 80s, unleashed terror in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in an operation now commonly referred to as the Gukurahundi massacres.
“If the family agrees to the erection of the same statue, they might as well accept the statue being erected at Karigamombe Centre because the two moves are an insult to the late nationalist,” said Moyo.
“Ibhetshu Likazulu says no to the North Korean-made statue and no to the Karigamombe Centre site.”
He said they could mobilise residents to pull down the statue if government ignored their objection.
The government stopped the erection of the statue opposite Karigamombe Centre in Harare and at the corner of Main Street and Eighth Avenue in Bulawayo following an outcry from the Nkomo family and civil society in September last year.
Nkomo’s eldest daughter Thandiwe last week said the government had agreed to identify an alternative site to erect the statue in the capital city, after objections from the family and owners of the Karigamombe building.
The Bulawayo statue will still be erected between Main Street and 8th Avenue as per the original plan.
The statue is set to be re-erected in Bulawayo and Harare soon.
Last week, Zanu PF said it would go ahead with the erection of the statue, claiming the late nationalist’s family had withdrawn their objection.
Government bowed down to pressure from the Nkomo family last year not to erect the statue at Karigamombe Centre in Harare.
Karigamombe Centre, whose name is perceived to refer to Nkomo’s defeat by President Robert Mugabe, was constructed during the Gukurahundi massacres of the early 1980s.
Mqondisi Moyo, spokesperson for the pressure group, said: “We would like to urge the family and the selected committee handling this issue not to allow the already-made statue by the North Koreans to be erected.
“The family cannot refuse the statue to be erected at Karigamombe Centre but accept the statue made by the North Koreans, as there is no difference in the two.”
The North Korean-trained army crack unit, the Fifth Brigade, in the early 80s, unleashed terror in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in an operation now commonly referred to as the Gukurahundi massacres.
“If the family agrees to the erection of the same statue, they might as well accept the statue being erected at Karigamombe Centre because the two moves are an insult to the late nationalist,” said Moyo.
“Ibhetshu Likazulu says no to the North Korean-made statue and no to the Karigamombe Centre site.”
He said they could mobilise residents to pull down the statue if government ignored their objection.
The government stopped the erection of the statue opposite Karigamombe Centre in Harare and at the corner of Main Street and Eighth Avenue in Bulawayo following an outcry from the Nkomo family and civil society in September last year.
Nkomo’s eldest daughter Thandiwe last week said the government had agreed to identify an alternative site to erect the statue in the capital city, after objections from the family and owners of the Karigamombe building.
The Bulawayo statue will still be erected between Main Street and 8th Avenue as per the original plan.
