RENOWNED historian Phathisa Nyathi yesterday confirmed that the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo became Kalanga by naturalisation and settlement in Zimbabwe although his family was originally of Sotho descent from South Africa.
BY SILAS NKALA
The disclosures came after the State media launched vicious attacks on NewsDay accusing the daily publication of falsely claiming that Nkomo was Kalanga. Nyathi added that some Nkomo families in the region were originally Kalanga.
The Kalanga issue has caused a tribal storm since last week when President Robert Mugabe labelled Kalangas in Matabeleland South Province as “uneducated” and criminals who illegally crossed into South Africa where they committed various crimes.
Mugabe’s remarks jolted some opposition parties and civil society groups from the region to demand a public apology from the Zanu PF leader and exhumation of all Kalanga national heroes buried at the Heroes’ Acre in Harare, among them Nkomo, Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo and George Silunduka.
They also challenged serving Cabinet ministers of Kalanga descent such as Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo to resign in protest against the jibe. “Yes, there are some Nkomos who are Kalanga, but about Joshua they are Sothos,” Nyathi said.
“They might have become Kalangas because of settlement and naturalisation. Originally, I do not think they are Kalangas. It is like we have the Nyathi people who are originally Sotho but they settled in the Kalanga-dominated area and they got identified with the Kalangas.”
Nyathi said the Nkomo family was naturalised into Kalanga by the fact of growing among Kalangas and their friends were the Bangos who were known Kalangas.
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“When these people got into Zimbabwe before colonisation they went through the Caprive Strip of Namibia into Matabeleland South. They are the Kololos who in Ndebele we call Gololos and were led by Sibatwani whom in Ndebele we call Sibindwani. They came from South Africa and settled in Zimbabwe during the 1820s ahead of Mzilikazi.” He said they later settled at Samthonga or Mwazinini now Emganwini in Bulawayo where there was Chief Mtolobi Mlilo.
“They were then displaced by the whites to settle at Tjimali. They moved to Mbembeswana close to Simukwe River in Matabeleland South (Matobo) before they moved to Chief Bidi’s area just because Nyongolo, the forefather of the Nkomos, was the dip attendant.”
But political commentator Methuseli Moyo said whether Nkomo was Kalanga or Sotho, the issue still remains that Mugabe publicly insulted Kalangas without provocation and should apologise to the offended tribe.
“Even if Nkomo was not Kalanga, he would never have insulted them or any other ethnic group,” Moyo said.
“Newspapers that omitted Mugabe’s offending comments but are now busy trying to dress them up and diverting attention are losing the plot because everyone is now a journalist, thanks to technology and social media. If Mugabe’s comments were proper, why did they censor them? The government media actually pleaded guilty on Mugabe’s behalf. Mugabe said what he said, full stop.”
