The Sunday News
Mthabisi Tshuma, Sunday News Reporter
MTHWAKAZI Republic Party, notorious for its extremism in supporting cessation and claiming to represent “pure Matabeleland people” has come under fire for failing to come up with correct spellings for IsiNdebele language.
The political party made up of a few people from the region has over the years made noise over the need to divide the country and “protect the Ndebele culture”.
However, in the latest gaffe, the party, in a banner which it is using to campaign for votes in the forthcoming elections, has come under fire for failing to write correct IsiNdebele words.
The banner in question reads: “Sivuselela ubuzwe bethu, Sivuselela ulwimi lethu, Sivuselela amasiko ethu, Sivuselela amagugu ethu.” In correct IsiNdebele, the word language is translated to ulimi not “ulwimi” as the MRP assert.
Last week, social media went to town castigating the political outfit with some people accusing the party leadership of being delusional. One Mbekezeli said: “Lokhu elikukhulumayo lapha ngamanyala,” meaning “all this you are saying is absolutely nonsense”.
Other social media users noted the party should not rush to criticise others when it can’t offer anything beyond wrong spellings and dividing the nation along tribal lines. Infact, the party officials must be corrected, some added.
“Why should we defend a mistake which shows that there is no commitment to whatsoever they are doing,” said one Zenzele.
Another person identified as The Village Scribe said, “Yes, kufanele baqondiswe (Yes, there should be out rightly corrected),” he said.
Contacted for comment, MRP president Mr Mqondisi Moyo acknowledged the error which was made by the “other members in South Africa”.
He said: “Ahhh you guys you guys, that is not an issue, that poster was done from South Africa, In Swati, Zulu or Xhosa they say Ulwimi, not Ulimi. What is it with that term Ulwimi or Ulimi. Ulwimi is a proper word and that banner was done by members in South Africa. I saw the debate but that is not the case,” he said.
The outfit has on numerous occasions caused commotion at public functions disrupting meetings while pushing for an ear for their cessation campaign.
