The government has been forced to remove a controversial, "ugly" statue of the late liberation icon Joshua Nkomo in Maphisa, Matabeleland South, following a wave of public indignation.
The monument, which appeared mysteriously under the cover of night on April 15, was pulled down just as the region prepared for Independence Day celebrations.
While it remains unclear if President Emmerson Mnangagwa was intended to commission the piece, local officials claimed the identities of those who installed the structure remained unknown.
Matobo Rural District Council chief executive officer, Alvis Sibanda, confirmed the removal on Friday after the community voiced its displeasure.
“The statue was in bad shape and not good looking,” Sibanda said, adding that the figure had initially been discovered wrapped in black plastic along a local road.
Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister, Albert Nguluvhe, is said to have ordered its immediate removal.
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The incident has touched a nerve in a region still grappling with its historical past.
Mqondisi Moyo, leader of the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP), warned that such developments risked "deepening wounds rather than fostering reconciliation."
“The installation of a statue of Joshua Nkomo in Maphisa, within the context of Independence celebrations, is a matter that cannot and should not be treated lightly,” Moyo said.
“From our perspective, this development does not constitute a genuine act of honour, but rather reflects a troubling insensitivity to history and to the lived experiences of the people of Matabeleland”.
Moyo criticised the poor craftsmanship of the monument, describing it as a "national embarrassment" that lacked artistic integrity.
“It bears little resemblance to the man it seeks to depict, thereby undermining any claim that this is a sincere or respectful tribute,” he added.
Local leadership echoed these sentiments. Chief Bidi expressed his disappointment.
“I am not happy at all. The statue is substandard, he deserves to be honoured,” he said.
The rejection of this statue mirrors a previous controversy in 2010, when a monument of Father Zimbabwe was pulled down in Bulawayo after his family and the public complained the pedestal did not capture his true attributes.
A proper statue was eventually unveiled at the intersection of Joshua Mqabuko Road in Bulawayo in 2013.
A social media commentator who identified himself as Alderman Tungamirai Madzokere suggested that authorities must now compensate for the "insult" by erecting high-quality statues of Nkomo both in Maphisa and at Harare’s Africa Unity Square.
Nkomo died on July 1, 1999.