The Sunday News
Lungile Tshuma Sunday News Correspondent
POLITICIANS in the Matabeleland region are to blame for the under-development of the region as they are clueless and coward individuals who are bent on pursuing selfish interests at the expense of the people, a senior traditional leader has said. In an interview at his homestead in Insiza last week, Chief Vezi Maduna Mafu of Filabusi said the region no longer has fearless leaders who can advocate for the cause of people in Matabeleland.
“We no longer have real men and women,” thundered Chief Maduna, adding: “How can we say we have leaders when they spend most of their time asleep and mum in Parliament? “We long for our old days where we had the likes of Sydney Malunga who could speak fearlessly and fight for our plight.”
Chief Maduna who is also former a Senator said the economic hardship which people are experiencing needed politicians who will fight for their people not only concentrating on enriching themselves.
He said; “We never fought this war so that people can suffer or few elected individuals can become richer. For the past years we have been crying for attention from the Government yet the problem is that people are electing mum and empty vessels to Parliament. We are going through difficult times which need real men and women to champion people’s causes.”
The majority of the legislators in the region are yet to push a motion in Parliament. Lwazi Sibanda, the MDC-T MP for Tsholotsho (proportional representation) has not pushed a single motion on behalf of her constituency since her appointment.
This was the same case with former Tsholotsho North MP, Roselyn Nkomo who never uttered a single word during her 18 months in Parliament.
However, Chief Maduna implored people to give Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko whom he said was following in the footsteps of the late Vice- President Joshua Nkomo a chance.
“We have to be united as a nation and support each other. Mphoko is doing well and people should support him. He is a brave man who needs our support and without our support he cannot fulfil his mandate of serving us,” he said.
