AN ex-Zipra war veteran and Zapu Council of Elders member, Rasha Mbanjeni Ndabazabo Vuya Ndlovu, yesterday called on the Zanu PF government to stop “its friends” — the Chinese — from looting gold resources in Matabeleland, where he said the foreigners were bringing a host of employees from Mashonaland, while locals were not getting jobs.
BY SILAS NKALA
Ndlovu said Chinese were dominating in the running of mines in Fibabusi, parts of Gwanda and Matobo districts.
Ndlovu accused the Chinese miners of employing only Shona-speaking people at their mines and even most businesses they were operating in Matabeleland, a development which he said showed the region was not yet liberated 35 years after independence.
“Matabeleland is still not liberated. There is a lot of tribalism prevailing against our people here by the government and its friends,” Ndlovu said.
“Chinese are looting gold in Matabeleland and they come with their workers, most of them from Mashonaland, and do not employ people from here. The Chinese are dividing us as people of Zimbabwe because if they favour one tribe against the other in doing business, then they make us hate each other.”
Ndlovu further said the looting of gold was leaving Matabeleland and its people poorer.
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“While they loot the resources to China because they are friends to Zanu PF, we are left struggling as we do not benefit from them. I cannot go to China and loot their resources and leave citizens poor and suffering,” Ndlovu said.
“They will not allow me to do that. The Chinese must stop exploiting gold that they take to their country. No Chinese should be taking gold from us here when war veterans and their dependants are suffering as their children are being eaten by crocodiles along the Limpopo River because they are being denied jobs.”
He said it was clear that Matabeleland had not been liberated and called on government to allow the region to have its separate government so as to benefit from its resources.
